


Still, I Miss the Seasons

by New54321



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: AU, Alternate Timelines, Alternate Universe, F/F, Fluff, Geographical Inaccuracies, Lesbian Sex, Slow Burn, Smut, Useless Gays
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-07
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:35:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 60,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23529265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/New54321/pseuds/New54321
Summary: Nicole Haught is living the dream. She works day in, day out in the glorious sunshine of the Florida Keys, showing the tourists the time of their lives. With sun, sand, friendships, and girls at her feet, she’s grasped nine years of her life with both hands. But she’s older now, and the friends are starting to come and go, and the girls don’t feel the way they used to. She can’t help but wonder whether maybe it’s time to move on.Waverly Earp is chasing her dreams. She’s worked tirelessly all her life to achieve the master’s degree that hangs proudly on the wall of her lifelong home. The world around her feels stale, and stifling, and her education always felt like her ticket out. It’s just that now that she finally holds the ticket in her hands, she doesn’t exactly know what she wants the destination to be.Under the heat of the summer sunshine, maybe both just might find their answers.
Relationships: Waverly Earp & Nicole Haught, Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught
Comments: 285
Kudos: 771





	1. Paradise Bound

**Author's Note:**

> I think it’s probably important to note that I am British, have never set foot on American soil, and have never been a holiday rep. Please overlook my inaccuracies. =)
> 
> Please do leave your feedback! It is always so greatly appreciated!!
> 
> If you want to find me on Twitter, I am @StaceyE706 😊

Nicole propped herself up on her elbow, brushing sand from the shoulder of her short-sleeved, baby blue polo shirt. Against the travel company’s uniform protocol, all three of her shirt buttons were undone, she’d rolled her short slacks up a good few inches higher over her knees than they should be, and she currently was not wearing the hazardous metal name tag that burned to the touch after a morning under the early June sun. A backwards cap bearing the company logo kept her tousled red hair from the sun’s rays, and her aviator sunglasses shielded deep mocha eyes from the glare on the water. The gentle crash of the Atlantic waves lulled in her ears, and she curled her toes in the golden sand, just cool enough to bear to touch. Since she’d turned eighteen, Nicole’s life had been on the sands and the sea; in the hotels, and the bars, and the restaurants; under the heat of the Floridian sun. A life that she’d loved. Nicole’s gaze fixed on the ebb and flow of the ocean waves, the soothing movement entrancing her as it always did. As the years had passed, it would be an outright lie if Nicole ever said that she never tired of the sun. It would be a lie if she said she never tired of the parties, and the alcohol, and the hours, and the girls. But the way the waves broke on the shoreline, the same wave never made twice; the way the shades of blues and greens darkened as the waters grew deeper, until they dropped off the edge of the naked eye; the way the sun bounced sparkling gems from the surface, dancing away faster than the eye could trap them; the way the sounds seemed to change depending on the way you chose to listen – the ocean would never grow old to Nicole.

Jeremy’s words hovered on the edge of Nicole’s conscious awareness as he chattered away beside her, swiping his thumb repeatedly over the dating app on his phone screen. His uniform polo was buttoned to the top, tucked into his full length navy slacks. His name badge shone proudly on his chest, and he winced as his arm brushed over the molten metal. To the outside eye, the two seemed an unlikely friendship; Jeremy’s skittish and awkward nature a stark contrast to Nicole’s air of assured confidence. Despite this, something between them worked; a friendship had sparked in the contrast, and deepened in the skeletons they shared in their respective closets. Jeremy had only been in the Keys for a year, and Nicole had seen many friendships come and go, but she couldn’t help but hope that the younger boy would be one to stick around.

Jeremy jumped, and Nicole craned her neck back as a loud crash from the beach bar behind them shattered through the peaceful reverie, the lapping of the waves drowned by the sound of shouts and the clattering of utensils to the floor.

“ _Por el amor de Dios!_ ” Rosita cursed harshly, as she expertly weaved her own tray above her head and out of harm’s way, leaving the bar boy clambering on the floor amongst his mess. “How many times do I have to tell you to shout on enter? _Idiota inútil_.”

Nicole chuckled, grinning at Jeremy as his eyes widened slightly and his lips parted. His second summer in, and he still seemed slightly terrified of the beach-bar owner. Rosita shook her head, her lips curling into an amused smirk as she reached the edge of the veranda and stepped onto the sand, placing the tray of burgers and fries on the low table between the loungers that Nicole and Jeremy occupied.

“New bar boy?” Nicole grinned, her eyebrow quirked above the rim of her sunglasses.

“Yup. He’s pretty good actually.” Rosita returned the grin, settling herself down on the empty lounger beside Nicole, the redhead handing her a portion of fries. “But it’d do me no favors to tell him that.”

Nicole chuckled, turning her gaze back towards the ocean. She lifted her sunglasses, waving as she spotted Doc along the shore, hauling in his banana boat for what seemed like the hundredth time that morning. The sudden spike of new arrivals marked the beginning of the tenth summer that Nicole would spend tending to the needs of Florida Keys tourists. Nine full years in the sun, over fifteen hundred miles from her hometown and the people she’d left behind there. Nine years that had slowly dampened, but never managed to fully erase the feeling of unease and anxiety that filled Nicole’s chest when she thought of Toronto, and the life she’d left behind her.

“Booked to the boat party tonight, Haught?”

Rosita’s voice broke through Nicole’s train of thought, and she welcomed the distraction.

“I am! Jeremy too. We have four groups signed up. Think it’s seventeen or so in total from our books.” Nicole couldn’t hide the sigh from her voice. At 27, she was much too young to feel as old as the early summer boat parties made her feel, but she would admit that she did enjoy the buzz of the season starting to pick up again after the slower winter months.

“I’m there, I’m providing the booze.” Rosita fixed her eyes on Nicole’s, her quirked eyebrow a sure sign that she was about to broker an all-too-familiar deal. “Bring your groups back to the bar when the boat moors, and I’ll put yours on the house for the night?”

Nicole smirked, knowing that she didn’t really need to respond. This was the deal every time.

“As always.”

“We have to watch ourselves tonight though.” Jeremy scrabbled in his bag for his clipboard as he spoke, avoiding Rosita’s glare. “We have a welcome meeting tomorrow morning, right?”

Nicole rolled her eyes, fishing her own clipboard from her bag with no difficulties and looking pointedly at Jeremy, a subtle smirk pulling at the corners of her lips. 

“9am at the Casa Marina. Three new groups arriving today, two from inland states around about now and one in from Vancouver later tonight.”

“Please let there be a cute guy. Just once I want there to be a cute guy.” Jeremy held his hands together as if in prayer, his head tilted back to the sky.

“Chetri, there is _always_ a cute guy.” Nicole threw her hands in the air in mock exasperation, her playful tone apparent beneath the faux frustration.

“An _abundance_ of cute guys.” Rosita confirmed, her grin wide as she leaned back against the sun lounger.

“But you _never_...” Nicole started, her grin audible in her voice.

“Have the cojones...” Rosita laughed as she continued.

“To do anything about it!” Nicole flicked a fry in Jeremy’s direction, laughing as her friend’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped in defensive shock.

“There is _nothing_ wrong with my cojones! I just don’t have a very good gaydar!” Jeremy scoffed, his pitch getting higher as he fought off his friends’ teasing.

Nicole chuckled, shaking her head as she watched a blush spread across Jeremy’s cheeks.

“Sure.”

“ _Okay!_ ” Jeremy grinned, his shoulders dropping as he succumbed to the light banter. “We can’t _all_ have our prospects quite literally throw themselves over us, Nicole.”

“Ah, but we don’t _all_ have winning smiles and fucking dimples like Haught does, do we Chetri?” Rosita winked, laughing as Jeremy visibly relaxed.

“Well okay, maybe you’re not as naturally charming as I am...” Nicole laughed as Rosita’s hand swatted her shoulder, and Jeremy scowled. “But dude you need to believe in yourself more. You’re cute, as guys go, and you’ve got that whole endearingly awkward thing going on.” She grinned. “Use it!”

Nicole turned to Rosita, wriggling her eyebrows over the rim of her sunglasses, unable to hide the amusement from her voice as she continued.

“And you can shut up. Doc’s tripped over the tether lines to that banana boat about six times in the past ten minutes, staring at you.”

“Jódete, hoyuelas.”

Nicole grinned, taking an excessive bite of her burger, mumbling her response through her mouthful of food.

“You only wish.”

**********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Waverly crossed her legs as best she could in the cramped space on the packed aircraft, an unread magazine spread across her lap. Chrissy had shoved it in her direction over an hour ago, and try as she might, she just couldn’t find any interest in the celebrity gossip that filled the pages. The Captain’s voice rang through the passenger announcements, telling her that the plane would land in Key West in just under three hours.

She reached into her bag, pulling out the small handheld book she had bought on the local history of Florida’s natives. She would admit that perhaps Florida Keys would not have been her first choice of vacation, and she would have preferred to explore the Amazonian magic of Brazil, or the historical wonders of Egypt, or the rich cultures of Mediterranean Europe; but she couldn’t deny that the excitement of her first vacation still pulsed strong in her veins, and the prospect of spending three months in the glorious sunshine wasn’t one she could ever complain about. After 24 years she would finally get to see the ocean.

“Tell me you are not studying history again?” Wynonna’s incredulous voice interrupted Waverly’s reading and she chose to ignore the disdain she heard in her sister’s tone.

“It interests me! Did you know that the Florida Keys were originally inhabited by the Calusa and the Tequesta tribes? The Calusa people believed that people had _three_ souls.” Waverly’s animated excitement carried in her voice, and her hands waved enthusiastically as she spoke. “The pupil of a person's eye, their shadow, and their reflection. And after they die, the souls migrate to animals. Huh.” Waverly trailed off, the wonderment in her expression softening her sister’s eyes.

“Babygirl, you will never understand how proud I am of you for how hard you work, and for being the only Earp in history to graduate with anything at all, let alone a master’s degree.” Wynonna’s expression was soft, her tone gentle and her piercing blue eyes fixed on Waverly’s hazel-green. Then she grinned, and shook her head, her tone more animated as she continued. “But Wave, for your entire life you have had your head buried in history, and languages, and pressure, and expectation. It. Is. Time. To _let loose_! We’re celebrating!”

“She’s right Waves!” Robin chimed in, leaning forward to make eye contact with Waverly from his seat beside Wynonna. “You need to gain some worldly experience. You need to see the world outside of Purgatory. As it is _now_!” He grinned as Waverly rolled her eyes.

“You gotta taste the delicacies, Waves. Find the _girls_.” Chrissy wriggled her eyebrows and shimmied her shoulders, nudging Waverly deliberately as she did so.

Waverly couldn’t help but laugh, a slight blush spreading across her cheeks as she shook her head.

“Okay look, I’m not so sure that present day Florida Keys is _quite_ the cultural exploration experience that you’re making it out to be...” Waverly deadpanned, supressing the smirk that threatened to spread across her face. She laughed as all three of her friends rolled their eyes and groaned. “But yes, it does feel pretty good to know that we can just kick back and enjoy the sun on our faces and the sand at our feet.”

Waverly grinned as Wynonna whooped, taking a swig from yet another glass of whiskey.

“Although, I am definitely not on the hunt for the girls...” Waverly trailed off, her teasing tone and knowing grin leaving a hint of suggestion in her words.

“But...?” Chrissy sang, nudging Waverly with her elbow.

“Hmmm, I wouldn’t rule anything out.” Waverly laughed, relaxing back as she took a sip of her gin and tonic.

“Well I am most definitely on the lookout for a guy.” Robin stated, raising his wine glass to punctuate his point.

“ _Please_ Robin.” Chrissy teased, her tone playful. “You don’t notice the guys flirting with you when they’re practically shoving it in your face.”

Waverly laughed along, nestling back into her seat as she closed her eyes. This vacation was exactly what she needed right now; a celebration and a reward for the hard work she’d put in over the past two years of her master’s degree. Still, she couldn’t help her mind wandering, anxiety lacing her thoughts as she contemplated what was next for her. She’d worked tirelessly all her life to achieve the degrees that now hung proudly on the wall of her lifelong home. The world she lived in had felt, for some time now, stale and stifling, and her education always felt like her ticket out. She couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that now that she finally held the ticket in her hands, she wasn’t exactly sure what she wanted the destination to be. The sound of her friends’ laughter kept her mind from wandering too far down the fearful path, and she shook her head in an effort to rid herself of her train of thought. She had a lot to figure out and she knew that, but for the next few months at least, she was happy to bury her head in the sand. So to speak.

**********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************  
  


Nicole winced as she threw back her shot, the taste of Sambuca burning on her tongue. She chased the liquid quickly with her half full beer bottle, expertly spitting the aniseed liquid into the glass. She’d learned to play the game well over the years; lessons well learned from previous experiences of sickened nights and thumping hangover mornings. The buzz of alcohol had felt old and tired for some time now, and Nicole had taken to disguising water as vodka and tequila when she ordered her own drinks, or spitting the liquid into chaser bottles when the alcohol was thrust upon her. Rosita and Jeremy understood her, but the guests and the younger reps never did. It was easier to play the game. There had been a time when the boat parties had excited her. They’d been a chance to let loose, and an opportunity to seduce a pretty girl; lowered inhibitions and reduced memories always an excuse to slip out early the next morning. Nicole loved her life, but she couldn’t help but feel she was getting a little too old for this now; her fun no longer lying in the bottom of a shot glass, and her interest in the girls around her quickly waning. The cocky sense of pride still held something in Nicole, power in the way that she could bend a girl around her little finger in the same old practiced way she always had. These days though, it seemed always to be followed by shame. Regret. She was bored, and the age old routine didn’t fit anymore.

The buzz of the party in full swing around her could still lift Nicole’s spirits for a while, and she loved to watch her guests in the first few days of their arrival. Years of new arrivals had taught Nicole to watch for the signs of every day burdens softening, and inhibitions lifting. She loved to watch the gradual drop of tense shoulders, and the glow of relaxation start to shine in sparkling eyes and on sun-kissed skin. She loved to watch the groups merge, looser reserves leading to looser lips, and new friendships and romances forming. Nicole loved to watch the joy of her guests throwing themselves into their vacation, but she’d started to find that she herself was closing off. The magic wearing thin.

As the night turned to 1am, Doc pulled the boat in to moor. With a reassuring wink to the expectant bar owner, Nicole ushered her groups towards Rosita’s beach bar; the night still young in the Keys. The bar was busy, bustling as it always did in the summer months. Rosita’s new bar boy, Perry, was now fully showing his worth, shaking cocktails in the small additional tiki bar to the edge of the veranda. Nicole found a seat at the bar, still nursing the same bottle of beer she’d carried for two hours. Doc sat beside her, Rosita sliding him a whiskey along the bar top. They sat for a while, content in idle chat as they watched the party in full swing around them.

“It seems to me as though your friend is in need of some assistance.” Doc’s lips curled up in an amused smirk, and he tilted his hat in the direction of the tiki bar.

Nicole’s gaze followed Doc’s direction, and she laughed and shook her head. Jeremy hovered awkwardly to the side of a small group that Nicole didn’t recognize as being their own guests; two young women – a blonde and a brunette - and a chiseled man gathered around Perry as he spun his cocktails. Jeremy drifted around the outside of the circle of friends, laughing along as they chatted amongst themselves, clearly trying to muster the courage to break into the group.

“Rosita?” Nicole turned to the bar just as the owner slid a tray in her direction.

“On it.”

Nicole grinned, thanking Rosita as she stood, balancing the tray of blue kamikaze shots. Their routine was well-rehearsed after years of playing wingman to useless reps. Nicole watched the grateful relief flood Jeremy’s face as she approached him, shoving the tray of shots into his hands. She wrapped her arm around the smaller man’s shoulders, dragging him into the group, her words effortlessly parting the way for them to join as she spoke.

“A little gift from the owner, and a welcome to Florida Keys. Were you guys on the boat? I don’t remember seeing you.” Nicole grinned, her gaze fixing on each guest individually as she spoke. “And I think we’d remember if we did. Right, Jer?”

Jeremy nodded mutely, grinning as the guests happily took the shots from the tray. Nicole declined, passing her glass to Perry. She smirked as she traced the brunette girl’s gaze to the bar boy, recognizing the slightly glazed look of hopeful lust behind her green eyes. She turned her eyes instead to the blonde. She was pretty, in a fairly obvious kind of way. She was all bleached hair, and make up, and bronzed cleavage, in an image that had kind of rendered itself unremarkable to Nicole. Aesthetically attractive but forgettable, in that she almost felt as though she’d seen the same face time and time again before. The blonde’s eyes lingered on her own, and Nicole smirked as she watched them darken, not missing the way the girl’s tongue ran quickly over her lips. She grinned, popping her dimples in full force.

Nicole effortlessly held the blonde’s attention for a while, her practiced routine coming naturally. She watched, her cocky esteem building as the girl’s resolve folded into her every move. Putty. Like clockwork. In her peripheral vision, she was aware of Jeremy hovering awkwardly again, and turned her eyes to the situation around her. The brunette was leaning across the tiki bar, her lip caught between her teeth as she watched Perry work. The chiseled object of Jeremy’s affections was currently chatting aimlessly in the brunette’s ear. Nicole sighed, spotting the mark of jealousy instantly; the way the man’s eyes flickered between the brunette and the bar boy as she spoke; and the way he stood with his front twisted towards the girl, leaving minimal space between them, his arm on the bar imposing on her space. An effort to stake a claim. She noted the way the brunette stood side on, blocking his advances. She’d been watching these scenes unfold for long enough to spot the body language anywhere. She caught Jeremy’s eye, shaking her head sympathetically.

“I think I’m just gonna go find Doc!” The dejection in Jeremy’s voice was clear, and he kept his eyes to the ground in embarrassment as he hurried off.

Nicole couldn’t help but feel bad for him as she watched him go. She wished he could meet someone who would give him a chance, and she was all too aware that this kind of scene did not play into his strengths.

“So... do you wanna get out of here?”

Nicole’s attention was brought back to the blonde, the subtle low rasp in her voice rendering all too familiar in Nicole’s veins. She bit down on her lower lip, grinning as the girl ran her hands up the spread of her shirt.

“Sure. Let me just settle up at the bar.”

The girl nodded, making no moves to step away. Nicole gently pushed her back, her dimpled grin softening the blow as she extracted herself from the blonde’s grip.

“I’m going to head to the bathroom. Meet me on the veranda?” The hopeful tone rang clear in Nicole’s ears, despite the slight slur of alcohol to the blonde’s words. She wasn’t even sure she’d asked for a name.

Nicole breathed a heavy sigh, shaking her head as she watched the blonde stumble towards the bathroom. Knowing full well that she was being watched, she grinned as she turned back towards the bar. She quirked an eyebrow, smirking at Rosita and pointedly ignoring Doc and Jeremy’s whistles and smug grins.

“I’m er... I’m gonna head off, dude.” Nicole threw a cheeky grin and a wink in Rosita’s direction as she spoke. She pointed at Jeremy, acknowledging him for the first time as he stopped whistling. “I’ll see you at the welcome meeting. 8:45am sharp.”

“Have a good night, Hoyuelas.” Rosita’s tone of voice feigned indifference, though she teased the redhead with the playful nickname, her cocked eyebrow, and her knowing smirk.

With a final gentle punch to Jeremy’s shoulder, Nicole headed to the veranda. She scanned her eyes across the deck, in search of the blonde. She spotted her stood in the queue for the bathroom, and hovered for a moment. Nicole exhaled a heavy breath and ran her hand through her hair. With a final quick scan across the bar, checking for the eyes of her friends or the blonde, she slipped hastily from the veranda, and around the corner before the girl could return.

Locking her apartment door behind her, Nicole breathed a sigh of relief. 3am. She’d have to be up in five hours, but she’d worked with less. She hung a clean short-sleeved button down on a hanger on the back of her bedroom door, the short slacks draped over the wire beneath it. She set her alarm, her clipboard propped on the dresser where she’d not be able to forget it in her expected rush out the door to her 9am meeting. She sighed, running her hands through her hair as she spotted the application forms spread across her bed. Southwest Florida Public Service Academy, Ontario Police College, Toronto Police College. She swallowed hard, gathering the pages up and slotting them away in the drawer of her bedside table. The prickle of tears still burned in her eyes every time she scanned the pages, but they didn’t fall. Not anymore. She’d fill the forms in, someday.


	2. Paradise Built

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please do leave your feedback as always. I'm still learning, so I love to hear what you guys think!
> 
> N.B. Please note the tag for geographical inaccuracies. A lot of the things I'll mention throughout the story are pulled from various parts of Florida, some are embellished, and some are purely fictional. I wouldn't use this as a travel guide. ;)  
> Also, I don't speak any Spanish and I've used Google translate, so apologies for any errors there. I've put the translations in the notes at the bottom!

Nicole perched on the stone wall of the bed of plants and palm trees that lined the pool bar and restaurant at the Casa Marina hotel. Clipboard in her hand, she scanned the names of the parties that had arrived the day before. One name – a last name – per group. Hardy, Cooper, Earp. Nicole always liked to guess which name fit which group, and which person within it.

Nicole stood, placing her clipboard on the wall behind her as she noticed people starting to appear. A group of three younger guys entered the bar area, loitering uncomfortably at the back. Nicole chuckled as they held their hands up in awkward half waves, but neglected to come any closer. The three resumed conversation amongst themselves, jostling each other and laughing. Nicole surveyed the group, all three wearing various sports paraphernalia bearing a lion head and an unfamiliar slogan. High school football, no doubt. American high school. _Cooper_. Nicole grinned, pointing the name out to Jeremy on his clipboard. He knew the game. He smirked and nodded, his voice a low murmur as he replied.

“It’s the guy in the middle. Bet he’s got a name like Brad, or Joey.”

Nicole laughed lightly, turning her back to the group as she reached for her coffee. She felt Jeremy bristle, and watched him quizzically as he fumbled awkwardly, dropping his pen and his clipboard. She followed his eyeline, grinning as she caught the source of his panic. A guy in his twenties headed towards them; all floppy hair and blue eyes and a wide, friendly smile. He had Jeremy’s type written all over him, and he waved shyly, taking a seat right at the front. Nicole shifted her gaze as she registered the sound of a voice, low and groggy with sleep, the speaker clearly dragged from her bed for this purpose and not yet entirely awake.

“I swear to god Waverly, this meeting had better be the experience of a lifetime, because it is _far_ too early and you are not even taking me for breakfast.”

Nicole’s eyes scanned the newcomers as they approached. The groggy speaker’s eyes were hidden by large sunglasses, wild dark hair pushing out from under a baseball cap. Nicole grinned. This was not a morning person.

“Wynonna, you might be happy to eat, drink yourself into a stupor, and lie around on the beach all day, but I want to know what there is to do around here. History! Culture! And there might be things we should know, I want to be prepared.”

The second voice almost floated into Nicole’s consciousness, and she felt the unfamiliar flip of butterflies in her stomach as her eyes landed on the new speaker. The petite brunette was beautiful. Genuine beauty that struck Nicole in a way that she hadn’t experienced in a long time. Her hair was almost caramel, tied back in a braid, and her green-brown eyes seemed to change colour with the bounce of the sun’s rays. What had the first girl called her? _Waverly_. Nicole swallowed hard.

“Ugh, how are we related?” Wynonna rolled her eyes at her sister’s words, and Waverly tutted as she continued.

“I think it’s good to show our faces, and _get to know the reps_.” Waverly’s voice fell to a whisper as the last words left her lips, and she turned her eyes to Nicole and Jeremy for the first time.

The brunette smiled widely at Jeremy, and Nicole cursed herself for the second surge of butterflies in her stomach as the hazel eyes turned to her. Waverly’s smile visibly curled a little softer for Nicole, her eyes lingering just a little longer before they dropped to the floor, her expression shy. Nicole didn’t miss Wynonna’s eyes on her, an eyebrow raised above her glasses, followed by a glance at Waverly and a smirk. The grumbled words were so low that Nicole wasn’t sure she’d caught them, but the nudge she gave her sister, and the blush that tinted Waverly’s cheeks told her she’d heard them right.

“Get to know the reps, I’ll fucking bet.”

Nicole suppressed a grin, shaking her head. She hoped that the heat she could feel spreading across her cheeks and her chest was not a visible blush. _Christ_ , when had she last _blushed_? The accent was Canadian. From the conversation she’d heard, she’d say it was clear that the gorgeous brunette was the organizer in this group, and so likely bore the name on her clipboard. The attention to history and culture a possible reference to an interest just _maybe_ derived from a descendant or a namesake? _Earp._ Waverly Earp. Presumably. _Hopefully_. It suited her. Nicole pressed a hand to her stomach subconsciously, an effort to comprehend the unacquainted feeling of somersaults lurching within it as she watched Waverly’s curious eyes search her face. She couldn’t put her finger on what she saw within them, and it was both refreshing and unsettling. She could always read a girl’s intent. _Usually_.

As the final group filtered in, Nicole groaned, slamming her eyes shut as she heard Jeremy choke on his coffee beside her. _Oh_ _shit._ For _fuck_ sake. The blonde, the brunette, and the muscled guy from last night, recognizable even with sunglasses hiding their hungover eyes. The brunette and the guy slumped into chairs behind the Earp party, barely grunting recognition. Nicole winced as the blonde froze for a moment, clearly recognizing her, then recovered, removing her sunglasses and walking directly towards them.

“Morning.” The girl murmured, sidling up to Nicole as the redhead took an uneasy step back. “What happened to you last night? I looked for you.”

The blonde’s voice was loud. Too loud, and Nicole grimaced as Jeremy furrowed his brows. She shot him a pleading look, and he shrugged, thankfully opting not to respond. The blonde took a step closer to Nicole, reaching her hand out towards her shirt, swaying her shoulders flirtatiously as she waited for a response. Nicole started, catching her wrist gently in her hand, and popping her dimples in a practiced grin as she halted the advances. The heated mix of embarrassment and frustration charred across Nicole’s chest, and she chastised herself for how overly aware she was of how this must be appearing to Waverly, despite having yet to even speak to the girl. _What was happening right now?_ She took a deep breath. No matter how inappropriate the blonde was being, she’d gotten herself into this mess, and she really shouldn’t piss off a guest _quite_ this early on. She swallowed hard, forcing a steady confidence into her voice as she spoke, keeping her eyes trained on the blonde’s.

“Well I didn’t see you on the veranda, and I had such an early morning. Needed my beauty sleep, you know?” She offered a deliberate, lop sided grin that she knew would distract from the vague response and the distance she was placing between herself and the blonde. She gestured towards the chairs. “Please, take a seat and we’ll get started.”

The blonde huffed indignantly, retreating to her seat with a dejected scowl on her face, her arms folded across her chest. _Christ._ Nicole risked a glance at Waverly, cursing herself once more as the burn of a blush spread across her cheeks at the brunette’s raised eyebrow and the traces of a smirk pulling at the corners of her lips. Nicole heard Jeremy clear his throat beside her; a prompt for the redhead to start the meeting, and shook her head in an effort to compose herself before she began.

“Morning. Welcome to Florida Keys, and to Casa Marina, and welcome to the fucking glorious sunshine!” Nicole grinned. This bit was easy after nine years. “You’re out here this morning ‘cause it’s early, it’s quiet, and I am _so_ aware that no person who has just arrived on their vacation really wants to spend the first hour looking at leaflets in a dry, dusty room, shivering under the air con. My name is Nicole Haught, this is Jeremy Chetri, and we’ll be the reps looking after you during your stay here.”

“The folder in the reception with our logo on it contains all the contact numbers if you should need anything, and the days and times that you can expect to find us around the hotel.” Jeremy continued, his nerves clear in his voice and his eyes darting anywhere but at the guy in the front row.

Nicole paced slightly, her body moving naturally as she delivered a rundown of some of the area’s more popular excursions and available activities. She expertly fielded the age old questions from most about the water sports and the bar crawls, her warm nature and dimpled grin easily feigning her interest. She paused, her smile growing genuine as Waverly raised her hand shyly. She nodded softly at the brunette, hoping to convey that she could speak up, and didn’t need to wait to be asked.

“What about historical sites and landmarks? Or erm... arts and cultural events?”

A smattering of laughter and a few scoffs rang from the small group that Nicole had assumed as the Hardy party, and the muscles in her forearms flexed, the urge to protect twitching through her body as Waverly’s cheeks tinted pink. She ignored them, focusing her attention on the brunette with a warm gaze and a reassuring smile as she started to respond.

“I think you would be missing a trick if you didn’t take the day excursion out to Dry Tortugas and Fort Jefferson. It’s done as snorkeling or as diving, and it’s a trip I can get you a good price on.”

Nicole grinned as Waverly’s shoulders dropped and she smiled, jotting things down in a small notepad. For some reason that she couldn’t quite wrap her head around, the action stirred the butterflies in Nicole’s stomach once more. She swallowed, not yet ready to tear her focus from the beautiful brunette.

“If you’re up for a couple of diving trips, you should also consider the Christ of the Deep sculpture.” Nicole paused to allow Waverly to scribble, the surge in her stomach spreading to her chest as the brunette bit down on her lower lip as she wrote. “Or the Flagler Historeum, Mallory Square, the Ernest Hemmingway Home and Museum... see us after this, if you like Waverly. We can jot down some of the best sites for you?” Nicole punctuated her words with a wide dimpled grin, a blush quickly tinting her cheeks as Waverly’s eyes shot up, and she quirked an eyebrow in surprise at the use of her name.

Nicole shook her head with a shy smile, her eyes dropping from Waverly’s gaze. The gymnasium in her stomach and the prickling heat under the surface of her constant blushes were overwhelming her, and she couldn’t quite catch a grasp on her wits. In the corner of her eye she could see the blonde girl glaring, and she felt a rush of irritability surge through her. She should really not have let this happen, but also this girl was far from entitled to jealousy, presumption, or possessiveness over Nicole or her actions. She turned away, fixing her eyes on the Cooper party in an effort to push her stumbling nerves through the rest of the meeting.

“We are here all morning if anyone has any questions or wants to book any excursions with us today.” Nicole continued, her steady voice both surprising and relieving her. “And also, we’re hosting a beach bonfire tonight for all of our new arrivals this week, and the details for that are on these fliers – please come and grab one if you’re interested. Enjoy your day!”

“So, I’ll see you at the beach tonight then?”

Nicole sighed heavily, her frustration threatening to bubble to the surface as the persistent blonde spoke up, walking towards her until she appeared at her side once more. She stiffened, stopping her body from recoiling as the girl took a flyer from her hands, deliberately running her fingers over Nicole’s. She clenched her jaw, forcing a polite smile across her face and a strained confirmation from her lips as she pulled her hands away from the blonde, nodding curtly as she excused herself. She shook her head, ridding her jaw and her fists of the irritable tension as she turned back towards Waverly’s group, genuinely drawn by the brunette who had asked the questions that stood out from the crowd.

“So... party Earp?” Nicole grinned, throwing a knowing glance in Jeremy’s direction.

“Yes! I’m Waverly...” The brunette’s eyes fixed on Nicole’s, a shrewd grin teasing her lips. “This is my sister Wynonna, and our friends Chrissy and Robin.”

“Hi! Robin... Erm. Hi.” Jeremy blushed, his eyes dropping to the floor, his hands wringing together as he bounced on the balls of his feet.

His awkward demeanor was beyond anything Nicole had witnessed in her friend before, and her eyes widened in astonishment. Robin blushed deeply, a shy smile across his face as he returned the greeting. Nicole blinked, turning her gaze back to Waverly’s, grinning as the brunette bit her lip to stifle a giggle.

“Well, why don’t you guys get off and enjoy the sun. Waverly, I will gather up some brochures on some of the things I think you’ll like, and I’ll bring them to the bonfire tonight.” Nicole gave a cheeky grin in Waverly’s direction, and a wink at Robin as she continued, her voice playful. “As we will not even be entertaining the idea that you won’t be there. Right Jer?”

“Low key... you know. Nothing too wild...” Jeremy’s pitch was far too high, and he hesitated, inhaling sharply and flailing his hands, his eyes wide. “Or - or wild. It could be wild, if that’s what you’re into.”

Nicole laughed, shaking her head in disbelief as she pulled a business card from her clipboard, hand writing her mobile number across the back as she spoke.

“Save this number in your phone. You know, just in case you ever have any questions, or worries, or you get lost.” She handed the card directly to Waverly, smirking as she deliberately held the brunette’s gaze for a moment longer than necessary. “Jeremy and I will be around the hotel this morning, running some activities by the pool. You should join in. Catch you later.”

As the group dispersed, Nicole blew out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, exhaling the air in a half laugh as she heard Jeremy do the same behind her.

“Shit, dude.” Jeremy’s voice was a whisper, his eyes still wide.

“Don’t you ‘shit’ me, what the fuck was that, Chetri?” Nicole laughed, shaking her head as Jeremy groaned, burying his head in his hands.

*******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Waverly jumped as the sound of a whistle blew, grabbing the attention of the guests around the pool. Jeremy carried a basket of yellow and red bandannas in his arms, rounding the pool recruiting guests to the game, divvying them up between teams as he went. Waverly felt the tiny flicker of butterflies in her stomach as she spotted Nicole behind him, setting up a volleyball game, backwards baseball cap settled on tousled red waves. She certainly wouldn’t deny the physical attraction that sparked in her veins, or the way her eyes lingered over the redhead, the sleeves of her polo rolled up over her shoulders, and the track shorts that rode higher over her thighs as she squatted to the water. Nicole was definitely attractive and Waverly was intrigued. But she could only imagine that someone living Nicole’s lifestyle would have their boots under many beds, especially when they looked like _that_ , and the way the blonde in the other group had so openly flirted with the rep had only furthered the assumption. Waverly was not one to play the conquest for somebody so cocksure, though she couldn’t help but feel that something in the mocha eyes that had fixed on hers this morning had been genuine; interest and warmth shining behind them. She grinned, biting her lip as the redhead’s eyes met her own, and those dimples popped. She certainly couldn’t see any reason not to indulge in a _little_ harmless flirtation.

A handful of bandannas flying towards her face broke Waverly from her trance, and she flinched just in time to catch them. Jeremy grinned at her sheepishly, gesturing towards the pool. She laughed, rounding Chrissy, Robin and Wynonna up and divvying out the colors. Sudden movements behind them shifted her gaze back towards Nicole, just in time to see the muscled guy from the meeting this morning grab the volleyball from the redhead’s hand and bomb into the water, glancing up at Waverly and Chrissy smugly as he surfaced. Waverly grimaced. She was all too familiar with guys like this, having worked behind the bar since she was old enough to serve. _Nothing_ intrigued her in the generic face, the boyish grin or the childish effort to impress, and she rolled her eyes at Chrissy as she tied the yellow bandanna around her head and jumped into the pool. She groaned as the guy appeared almost immediately beside her, spinning the ball on his finger.

“Looks like it’s me and you together, eh babe?” His voice was loud, his unabashed confidence having presumably the opposite effect to his intentions. “I’m Champ. If you need someone to show you how to handle a ball or two, you let me know.” He laughed, nudging his shoulder against Waverly’s, seemingly oblivious to the brunette’s visible balk at his words.

Waverly’s eyes turned instinctively to Nicole, and she smirked as she watched the rep grimace at Champ’s brash words, noting the flicker of protectiveness that sparked in her eyes. She scrunched her face as the redhead’s gaze fixed on her own, and soundlessly mouthed her words.

“ _Champ_? _Ew.”_ Waverly grinned as Nicole shook her head, laughing openly, the relaxed warmth returning to her eyes.

The group relaxed into each other’s company as the volleyball game developed, names learned and barriers starting to break. The cheeky back and forth between Nicole and Waverly was unmissable as the rep kept the score, and Waverly could feel the heat of both Champ and the blonde, Steph’s eyes on her. Waverly’s yellow team easily scored the lion’s share of the points, with both Steph and Poppy on the red team refusing to let the water touch their hair or the ball touch their nails. Waverly bit back a laugh as for the fourth time, Steph tried to flirt her way into extra points with a fully resistant and increasingly exasperated Nicole.

As the ball flew back into play, Waverly cheekily flung herself onto Robin’s shoulders, catching the ball instinctively as it flew towards them. Quickly realizing her mistake, she threw the ball back across the net with more force than intended, wincing as it skidded across the water and bounced out of the pool. Waverly’s hands flew to her mouth as Steph’s squeals and screams drew the group’s attention, fear spiking down her spine. Had she hurt the girl?

“My _hair_!”

The shriek rang loud across the water, and Waverly bit back her laughter as the relief flooded through her. No injuries. Just a splash. Waverly scanned the group, grinning at the mass efforts to stifle their giggles as Steph hauled herself from the pool, grabbed her towel and stormed off in the direction of the apartments, Poppy hastily following behind her. Waverly pulled herself to the edge of the pool to retrieve the ball, grinning as Nicole squatted down beside her.

“Foul play, Earp.” Nicole’s eyes sparkled playfully, her grin teasing.

“Well, you’re welcome.”

Waverly cocked an eyebrow, grinning as Nicole huffed out a laugh. She dropped her voice, allowing a subtle hint of a husk to break through her words.

“If you think you’re so hot, why don’t you get in here and show me how it’s done.” She smirked, wrapping her arms around the ball and hugging it to her chest.

“Oh I don’t know, I wouldn’t wanna tread on _Champ’s_ toes.”

Nicole’s easy smirk carried the tease in her words, and Waverly chuckled, her eyes dropping fleetingly to Nicole’s lips. An unexpected trickle of heat flowed through her stomach as she turned her gaze back to Nicole’s, noting the dark flicker of the redhead’s eyes as they mirrored her actions. She swallowed.

“Well, throw the ball hard enough and we could get rid of him too.” She grinned as Nicole laughed lightly.

“Well for your sins, you’re switching sides.” Nicole handed her a red bandanna, holding her hand out for the yellow. “I’d call that a job done?” She stepped back with a sly smirk and a wink, and Waverly couldn’t help but laugh.

Ducking beneath the net, Waverly made her way towards Chrissy as she tied the red bandanna around her head, quirking an eyebrow as her friend wriggled hers.

“Waves, is it me, or is it _really_ hot out here?” Chrissy dropped her voice, her tone hushed as she nudged Waverly’s arm playfully, gesturing towards Nicole with a tilt of her head. “And I do _not_ mean the sun.”

Waverly served the ball, sending it soaring towards the back of the pool. She chuckled as Robin dove across the water in its pursuit, landing unceremoniously at Jeremy’s feet. She heard Chrissy giggle behind her as both guys blushed profusely, stumbling over apologies.

*******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Nicole’s knee jittered nervously as she sat to the end of the beach bar, her fingers drumming over the beer bottle clutched in her hand. She’d drank more of it than she usually would have, in an effort to stem the frustrating butterflies that filled her chest and her stomach, seemingly refusing respite. She tried to dissect her thoughts; to map out the reason for the anxious energy that flooded her veins. She knew it was Waverly. But why? The routine was accustomed now; expected. Her friends watched as she charmed the girls, and she let them believe that she took to their beds. She didn’t want Waverly to believe that. Waverly’s eyes seemed to search her differently, looking for different things. For reasons that she couldn’t quite understand, Nicole wanted Waverly to see who she was, not who she let people believe she was. But to do that, she might expose herself to the others around her. Why did that bother her so much?

She turned with a start as a body sat beside her, pulling her from her thoughts. She was close. Inappropriately close, the too-sweet candy smell of her perfume overpowering, and Nicole’s blood pounded in frustration as the blonde thrust a blue kamikaze shot towards her.

“Just thought that things should start the same way as last night, but that maybe they should end a little differently?” The lilt in her voice was syrup, and it landed far too thick in Nicole’s ears.

“Thank you, but I actually don’t drink these. I didn’t last night either.” Nicole turned her eyes to Steph’s, her voice firm and steady. She was a little tired of this game already, and she didn’t feel she owed the girl anything.

“More for me then. You trying to get me drunk again?” Steph threw the first shot back, and smirked as she leaned in closer, her hand trailing lightly over Nicole’s arm.

“Look, erm... it’s Steph, right?” Nicole pulled her arm back, turning to face the blonde. “You seem... lovely...” Nicole winced as she heard the strain in her own voice, and cleared her throat. She gestured between herself and the blonde. “But this is... not going to happen.”

Nicole held her breath as Steph pulled away, wide eyes under furrowed brows fixed on her own for an uncomfortable moment, before they dropped to the bar and the blonde scoffed.

“Wow. _You_ led me on. Is this because of that other girl?”

“ _Jesus!_ ” Nicole’s eyes fluttered closed for a moment, disbelief and frustration tangling into her voice. “We talked for less than an hour _one_ time, I didn’t kiss you, I didn’t....” She caught herself, lowering her voice and turning her eyes back to the blonde’s face, searching almost for some level of mutual understanding. “I didn’t _come home_ with you. I don’t really know what you think...”

She paused, taking a deep breath. The girl was a little petulant and a little childish, but Nicole knew her fault. She understood that she had intentionally flirted with the blonde, and then quite explicitly stood her up. She had no desire to cause any further unnecessary upset, and she certainly didn’t want any further confusion. She fixed her gaze on the blonde’s, smoothing her words in a genuine apology.

“Okay, yeah. I’m sorry. I didn’t intend to, and I hope that we can maybe be friends?”

Nicole exhaled slowly, her body tense as the blonde’s stunned eyes stared for a moment, before she scoffed and stood, folding her arms across her chest as she hurried away towards the bonfire starting its slow burn on the beach.

“I’m gonna go ahead and take that as a maybe.” Nicole muttered, running her hands over her face and through her hair. She was used to her behavior with women biting her on the ass when she was younger, but this was definitely a first from someone she’d never slept with.

“I probably wouldn’t.”

Nicole turned her head at the sound of laughter and the soft words spoken behind her. Her breath caught in her throat, and she groaned in embarrassment despite the grin that spread across her face as Waverly approached. She felt her eyes drop, moving of their own desire as she took in the way caramel hair hung in loose curls around Waverly’s shoulders; the way her sleeveless shirt hugged tight over toned curves, the white of the material striking against already tanned skin; the way her skin tight shorts cut off across the tops of sun kissed, muscular thighs. The nervous knot in Nicole’s stomach flipped, butterflies surging in its place and she blushed. She really didn’t want to know how much of her conversation she had heard.

“Lover’s tiff?” Waverly grinned, her eyebrow quirked as Nicole rolled her eyes.

“Oh, star-crossed. I’m sure the poets will tell our story for centuries.” Nicole laughed, the sarcasm rolling easily off of her tongue under the playful glint of Waverly’s eyes. She gestured to the empty stool beside her for Waverly to sit.

The seat was close, dragged closer than usual by the persistent blonde who had last occupied it, and Nicole felt the prickly heat of her nerves overwhelm her for a moment. To Nicole, Waverly was a whirlwind of butterflies and jittery nerves and a racing pulse, yet somehow still calming and it was a whole load of something Nicole had never experienced, but she was still a woman right? Nicole could do women. She understood women, she was good with women. Just the same as always. _Right?_ She swallowed her nerves, steeling her charm.

“What can I get you to drink?” Nicole flashed her perfected dimpled smile, her eyes held wide in the way she knew made them shine brighter. She twisted her body, bringing her torso slightly closer to Waverly, deliberately not enough to impose on her personal space. She kept her eyes trained on Waverly’s, watching for each reaction as she always did. She felt her heart thud faster in her chest as hazel eyes dropped to her lips, lingering before mapping her dimples, and down over her body. Nicole’s breath caught in her throat as the brunette bit her lip, returning noticeably darker eyes to the redhead’s gaze as she leaned in dangerously close.

“Is this the move that got you into trouble with Steph?” Waverly’s playful tone was soft, her lips spreading into a smug grin as she sat back, cocking an eyebrow. She laughed as Nicole furrowed her brows, her jaw slackening slightly.

“Move? It’s not... it is _not_ a move.” Nicole stuttered, shock and embarrassment curling into defense in her voice for a moment as the brunette called her out. She grinned. This girl intrigued her more by the minute. “It’s my job to make sure you have a good night.”

“Is that just one per guest, or...?” Waverly trailed off, the mischief in her voice matching the dance behind her eyes.

Nicole faltered, her grin widening still despite the embarrassment that coursed through her veins. How could the brunette disarm her so easily, and yet make her feel more seen than she’d ever felt?

“ _Wow_ , Hoyeulas. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that charm crash and burn _so_ hard.” Rosita’s laugh sounded through her words as she leaned across the bar, winking at Waverly and shaking her head at Nicole.

“Piss off, Rosita.” Nicole blushed, pushing back the bubble of defensive anxiety that bubbled beneath the surface. She relaxed as Waverly’s easy laugh filled her ears, and grinned, risking a cheeky snipe with her tongue in her cheek. “Esta bella dama... ella me quiere.”

“Ah, corrección. Nicole _quiere_ que la quiera a ella.” Waverly husked her voice, the intonation in her Spanish perfect. She smirked as she stood, throwing a wink to Nicole and a grin to Rosita, and headed towards the bonfire in pursuit of her friends.

Nicole couldn’t stop the grin that spread across her face as she watched the brunette walk across the beach, the sway of her hips exaggerated by the sink and pull of the sand beneath her feet.

“Well shit.”

*****

“Please enlighten me Nicole, what is it that you have done to anger that scowling little blonde girl over there quite so much? Your usual hit and run?” Doc’s southern drawl cut across the air, his mustache curled in a playful smirk as he approached, taking a seat on the sand and leaning back against the log.

“Sounds to me like this was more of a _quit_ and run, right Haught?” Jeremy laughed, the alcohol clearly loosening his reservations and his lips.

Nicole’s heart lurched in her throat and she tensed. This was the last conversation she wanted right now, whichever way this was going. She could barely bring herself to make eye contact with Waverly, but the pull was too strong and she risked a sheepish glance in the brunette’s direction. She could see hazel eyes searching hers, something like understanding written within them, but they seemed somehow to ask more of her. Questions that demanded answers she couldn’t give in this situation.

“Please translate whatever that was into something I can understand?” Doc’s words were aimed at Jeremy, though his eyes focused on the cigarette he rolled between his fingers.

“I’m saying she didn’t sleep with the blonde chick. Or even leave with her.” Jeremy grinned at Doc, his smile faltering slightly as he turned his eyes to Nicole, an apology flickering behind the glaze of alcohol.

“Is that so? Well I must say, it is not like you to turn down a warm bed.” Doc chuckled, leaning forward to light his cigarette in the embers of the fire.

Nicole’s chuckle was practiced, and she knew the laughter wouldn’t reach her eyes. The events of the night sat heavy, lead in her chest, her throat a tightened ball of frustration, anxiety, regret. It didn’t feel easier tonight, to play the game. It hadn’t helped her. The last time she’d actually gone home with a girl was over seven months ago, at the end of the previous summer season. The time before that, three months prior. It had been some time since the girls and the booze and the cocksure façade had held Nicole’s interest, but if she was honest with herself, she wasn’t sure who she was to the people around her without it. But now, with Waverly’s eyes searching hers for something she couldn’t read, she wanted to strip it back. She wanted to learn. She just wasn’t sure how to start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spanish translations as per Google translate!
> 
> "Hoyeulas" - Dimples  
> "Esta bella dama... ella me quiere." - "This beautiful lady ... she wants me."  
> “Ah, corrección. Nicole quiere que la quiera a ella.” - "Ah, correction. Nicole wants me to wants her.”
> 
> *Shrug* - I hope it's at least close to accurate! Ha.


	3. Paradise Unknown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your comments so far! A week off work in quarantine can be thanked for the three chapters far quicker than I intended, though I am working again as of Tuesday. I will be aiming to update at least once a week (I'll aim for Mondays), but when I finish a chapter I get excited and post immediately, so sometimes they'll come early. =p
> 
> Pretty please do continue to leave your comments - they are fuel to me!
> 
> N.B. Again, the tag for geographical inaccuracies will apply to this chapter. Sorry to any Floridians who are screaming at their screens ;)

Excitement bubbled in Waverly’s stomach, nervous anticipation mixing with impatience and curiosity. The flag flying at the end of the jetty bore a company logo that matched the one on the tickets in her hand, that Nicole had left behind the hotel reception for them earlier in the week. The white of the dive boat gleamed under the bounce of the sun’s rays on the water, throwing flickering sparks off of the surface as it moved with the waves beneath it. Last week, for the first time in her 24 years, Waverly had seen the ocean. She’d let the water curl around her bare feet, feeling the pull of the sand as the tide washed in, and retreated. She’d felt the push and pull of the waves on her body, and the force moving first against and then with her as she swam, ebbing and flowing. She’d tasted the salt that remained on her lips even after the sun had dried away the moisture, and she’d learned the hard way not to open her mouth while swimming. Today’s snorkeling excursion meant that for the first time, she would get to see the things that lived beneath it. But first, she would experience the waves from above the surface. Wynonna, Chrissy and Robin had all either snorkeled or dived before, and so whilst she knew it was unwarranted, Waverly couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed of her nerves, choosing to ride them quietly.

Waverly stepped onto the boat first, a fleeting moment of anxiety flooding through her as the subtle rock of the vessel on the water unsteadied her, before she grinned, finding her feet. Her excitement was far outweighing her nerves at this point, and she beamed at the tall, dark eyed guide as he welcomed the group on board. She heard a low whistle as Wynonna and the others gathered behind her, and she chuckled as she heard her sister’s voice whisper in her ear.

“ _Now_ this holiday is heating _up_. What do you think it would take to get him to take a dive in my reef?”

“Oh my _god_ Wynonna!” Waverly winced, her pitch raising in shock and disgust, though she couldn’t help but huff out a laugh at her sister’s brash words. “ _Jesus._ ”

Waverly watched as Wynonna fixed her eyes on the guide’s as they passed him, giving him a flirty smile. The guide didn’t respond, but Waverly could swear she saw the corners of his lips twitch a little more and a flicker of amusement cross his eyes as she did. She grinned, shaking her head as she headed up the narrow stairs to the top of the boat.

The group found seats on the benches that lined the open deck of the boat’s top, their backs to the edge. Waverly twisted her body, leaning over the side to watch the water below. The colors were beautiful this close to the shore; the greens and blues seeming to change under her eyes with the water’s motion. Gradually, a handful of other people began to filter onto the boat, chattering quietly amongst their groups. Below the deck, Waverly could hear the guide in conversation with someone on the jetty, the snippets she could pick up telling her that they were lifting the ropes, and that all the guests were now on board. She was pleased to note it was not enough for the boat or the trip to feel crowded; ten or so in total.

Footsteps on the stairs pulled Waverly’s eyes to the source, and the chatter died out around her as others did the same, waiting expectantly. The guide made his way up onto the deck, a microphone in his hand, and turned to mutter something quietly to someone behind him. Waverly felt the consuming addition of butterflies to her already nervous stomach as the guide moved aside, making room for Nicole to step onto the deck. Waverly hadn’t been expecting to see the redhead on the excursion, and she didn’t appear to be working; her usual agency uniform replaced by a low slung, loose tank and board shorts that cut across her thighs, her hair pulled back into a braid. Nicole grinned as her eyes landed on Waverly’s, and with a last nod and unintelligible few words to the guide, she made her way towards the brunette. Waverly returned the redhead’s bright smile as she took a seat beside her, opening her mouth to speak but quickly changing her mind as the guide’s voice rang out through the microphone, welcoming the guests on board and introducing himself as Dolls. Waverly tried her hardest to listen to Dolls speak, but the combination of Nicole’s unexpected presence, and the heat that she could feel radiating from the close proximity of the redhead’s body was affecting her a little more than she’d care to admit. She forced her eyes to fix unnecessarily hard on Dolls as he explained the rules and what to expect from the day, praying that the goosebumps over her skin were either unnoticeable, or easily blamed on the ocean breeze around her.

Dolls wrapped up, advising the guests to sit back and enjoy the sun and the sea for a while, informing them there was a bar open under the deck, and that they would arrive in Dry Tortugas in approximately an hour. As he finished speaking and retreated to the cabin, Nicole turned to Waverly, finally speaking for the first time.

“Hey.” She grinned, that assured, dimpled grin, and Waverly hated that it fluttered in her stomach almost immediately.

For fuck sake. It really would be a damn lot easier to resist the pull she felt towards the redhead if she wasn’t _quite_ so sexy. Waverly had identified almost instantly that the danger in Nicole was that her charm was all in her body language. The words she spoke could be _so_ simple, but the way she so deliberately trained her eyes; the perfected smile; the way she controlled her body so that it always appeared open to the object of her affections - it had a disarming way of making a person feel like they were the only thing she noticed. It was a clever game, and frustratingly so, because it worked even when you could see straight through it. Waverly smirked. She had never been one to struggle with her self-control, and she certainly wasn’t going to give the cocky redhead the satisfaction, but she couldn’t help but flirt back.

“This is an unforeseen surprise. Just couldn’t stay away?” She grinned, working to match the cocky confidence she was used to seeing in the rep.

“Well... I booked your tickets, so I can’t pretend I didn’t know you’d be here...” Nicole spoke slowly as if in thought, though the glint of mischief in her eyes told Waverly that it was calculated. “I figured if you weren’t charmed by my usual moves, then maybe persistence was the key.” She shrugged, laughing lightly as Waverly rolled her eyes.

“Some call it persistence... others might call it stalking.” Waverly kept her voice light, enjoying the way the line of gentle banter was so easy to walk with the redhead.

Waverly laughed as Nicole’s eyes widened for a moment, and she shook her head seriously, only the smile playing at the corners of her lips betraying the humor behind her actions.

“Stalking kinda sounds like something that should be done _much_ more covertly.” Her lips spread into a cheeky grin, and then her face softened, her warm eyes sparking as she turned her neck, looking out to the water. “Nah, diving and snorkeling is something I’m really into, I do it a lot on my days off. I don’t have a boat, but Dolls is a good friend of mine, so he lets me tag along when the books aren’t full.”

“I’m surprised.” Waverly teased. “I didn’t see you as the type.”

“Why?” Nicole’s eyes were back on Waverly’s, genuine intrigue behind them.

“I figure it’s almost impossible to seduce a woman with a snorkel in your mouth.”

Waverly grinned, but faltered as the warmth in deep mocha eyes flickered for a moment and something deeper; something painful passed behind them, almost quick enough to miss. Waverly cursed herself immediately, regretting the words the moment she watched them reach the redhead’s ears. She’d meant to continue the gentle teasing that seemed to come naturally between them, but she knew nothing about Nicole, and to dismiss a genuine interest because it didn’t fit the womanizing image the rep’s friends had painted of her was a step over the mark that she hadn’t really meant to cross. She opened her mouth to apologize, but the redhead’s cheeky grin was back too quickly, the hurt that had flashed through her eyes replaced with their usual warmth and hint of mischief, as though the fleeting moment had been a figment of Waverly’s imagination.

“I guess you can tell me in a few hours how successful it is.” Nicole punctuated her words with a wink, and then settled back against the edge of the boat. “Besides, the diver image seems to be doing it for your sister right now.”

Waverly furrowed her brows, pursing her lips in question. Nicole grinned, nodding her head towards the cabin, where Wynonna was shamelessly flirting with a quietly amused Dolls, her hand resting on his bicep as he controlled the dive boat. Waverly laughed openly, shaking her head in astonishment.

“Is he single?”

“Yep.” Nicole laughed. “Great guy, just little tense until you get to know him... which I’m betting she will.”

The conversation flowed naturally as the group basked in the sun, Nicole pointing out flying fish and pods of dolphins to an awestruck Waverly. As the sun’s rays grew stronger, Nicole stripped her tank top off, leaving her in a bikini and her board shorts. Waverly’s eyes roamed the redhead’s exposed torso for the first time, cursing herself at the heat that flushed her skin as she took in the soft curves, and the subtle hint of toned muscles that flexed below them when she moved.

Waverly grew quiet as the boat pulled into the bay, her nerves hitting in full force now that they teetered on the edge of the new territory. She could feel her chest tightening, the knot in her stomach pulling hard as the boat came to a stop, and Dolls introduced the area as their first dive point. She tried to listen with intrigue, pushing her nerves down as he divulged a little of the history of the area, highlighting some of the particular sights that they could see around both above and below the water.

“You okay, Wave?” Nicole’s voice was low, softer than usual, and the effect was almost instantly calming.

“I’m a little nervous.” Waverly admitted, the break in her voice matching her words. “Last week was the first time I even _saw_ the ocean, let alone set foot in it, and I know we’re only snorkeling, and I’m _really_ excited but also...” She trailed off, suddenly aware that Nicole had taken a step closer.

“Hey, it’s okay. I get it. Here...” Nicole smiled softly, handing Waverly a snorkel and a pair of goggles, showing her how to put them together correctly. “If you want, you can stick with me. I can show you around, and if it gets too scary I can get you back here quickly?”

Waverly nodded, the knot in her chest easing at the redhead’s assurance. There was something softer than usual in Nicole’s eyes, her voice gentle and firm; confident and reassuring. There was a natural calm and a strength in her presence that Waverly wasn’t sure she’d noticed before, and it made her feel instantly safer.

Nicole led Waverly to the edge of the boat as the group began to jump into the water and disperse around the area. Not wanting to appear completely out of her element, Waverly jumped from the boat with as much confidence as she could muster, grinning as she surface alongside the redhead. Nicole swam above the water, leading Waverly out into the gulf with purpose. They came to a stop alongside what looked to be a jagged rock protruding from the water’s surface. Nicole turned to face her, treading water as she waited for Waverly to catch her breath.

“Wait, this is part of the ship?” Waverly’s eyes took in the jagged object before them, recognizing the rust of iron and the shape of the frame in what she had previously mistaken for rock. “This is the Windjammer?”

“Yep!” Nicole grinned. “The Windjammer is its nickname. It was known as The Avanti. It was built in 1875 in England and sank in, I think, 1907, transporting lumber from Pensacola to Uruguay. There aren’t any historical documents on the event so we don’t really know the details of its sinking, but the depths range from here to twenty feet. The marine life you’ll see is incredible.”

Waverly smiled, recognizing the lilt of genuine interest and passion in Nicole’s voice. The difference in her voice and the shine in her eyes starkly apparent from the rehearsed plug of a paid rep that the redhead had displayed in the welcome meeting. Waverly giggled as Nicole helped her to attach her goggles and secure them tightly, pulling her own over her eyes and wriggling her eyebrows in what the brunette assumed was supposed to be a flirtatious manner.

“How you feeling about the possibility of seduction in a snorkel now, hmm?”

The redhead’s voice carried the nasality of a heady cold, her nose blocked by the heavyset goggles, and the skin around her cheeks was pulled tight by the rubber. Waverly couldn’t help but laugh.

“ _Technically_ you’re not wearing a snorkel right now, but you’re right. I can definitely see it.” She grinned.

Waverly circled her legs a little faster in an effort to keep her head above the surface, her laughter pulling at her muscles as Nicole put the snorkel in her mouth and lifted her hands above the water in a shrug. Waverly shook her head, swatting water at the redhead as she chuckled, pulling the snorkel back out. Waverly gasped, pulling her legs up hard below her, her eyes frantically scanning the water as something brushed against her foot reminding her of her nerves. The feel of Nicole’s hand reaching for her arm both distracted and steadied her, and she stilled, turning her gaze back to the redhead’s face.

“You okay? You ready?”

Nicole’s smile reached her voice, and it pulled the excitement and curiosity back to the forefront of Waverly’s mind, but for one question that lingered on the tip of her tongue.

“Erm... will there be sharks?” Waverly blushed as she spoke, her voice small. She felt embarrassed for asking the question, but she genuinely wasn’t sure and she couldn’t deny that the prospect made her nervous.

“Not here.” Nicole grinned, lifting her goggles onto her head, allowing Waverly to see the sincerity in her eyes. “Out in the Pulaski Shoals Area a few miles into the Gulf, they are pretty common. It’s... it’s something alright.” She laughed, a subtle shudder running visibly through her shoulders. “The scariest looking thing you might see here is probably the Barracuda. And the Goliath is pretty big. But there’s plenty of smaller fish too, and Black Snapper, Lobster, Angelfish... there’s so much, it’s beautiful. Kind of a haunting contrast to the iron of the ship.”

Waverly studied Nicole’s face as she spoke. There was something different in it out here, away from the bars and the pool and the role she played amongst her friends. Something softer, lighter. The spark behind her eyes was a little brighter. Waverly found herself struck in that moment by just how beautiful she really was.

“Just breathe through your mouth. I’m right here, okay?”

Nicole offered a final reassuring grin, lowering her goggles and securing her snorkel in her mouth, watching for Waverly to do the same. She held her hand out and Waverly took it without hesitation, unsure if she owed the shiver that ran through her to the touch, or to her nerves. Nicole gave her the thumbs up, and Waverly nodded, returning the gesture before lowering her face slowly into the water. She hovered for a moment, allowing herself to get used to the feel of the water around her face, and the motion of breathing through the snorkel.

Nicole led the way, her hand wrapped in Waverly’s as they swam around the shipwreck. It was beyond incredible. The oranges, the pinks, the yellows, and the purples of the coral, and the red algae that clung to the rusted iron frame were almost cinematic, surreal in the still silence of the water. The fish were mesmerizing. Colors that Waverly would swear couldn’t possibly be natural. The feeling of the sheer numbers of tiny fish below them, every so often brushing brazenly against her bare skin, was almost as though they blended with the water itself. The sheer size of some of the larger creatures had her flinching, pulling closer to Nicole in squeamish anticipation, the redhead’s fingers squeezing her hand a little tighter in reassurance. The world even so close below the sea was incredible, the absence of sound and the consistent envelope of the water around her heightening the sense of sight, vivid and extraordinary. Nicole’s presence by her side kept her grounded; safe. Worlds away from Purgatory. She couldn’t believe she’d waited so many years to do this. She could do this forever.

Waverly couldn’t hazard a guess at how long they spent exploring the reef, remembering the rest of the world only when she felt Nicole tug gently on her hand, gesturing upwards. She surfaced, unable to stop the beaming grin that spread across her face as she removed the snorkel, pulling the goggles onto the top of her head as the redhead did the same.

“I think this is the best day of my entire life, did you _see_ that? Oh my god, that was... I have no words, that was everything. You do this _all the time_?” Waverly was aware she was breathless, but she couldn’t stop the words from spilling out, childlike wonderment coursing through every cell of her body.

Nicole laughed, and the mocha eyes that searched Waverly’s face seemed somehow warmer than she had seen them yet.

“The trip has another stop to get to, and we’re a little way now from the boat so we’d better turn back.”

Waverly hadn’t even realized she’d pouted until she heard Nicole laugh, and she blushed as the redhead continued with a grin.

“Put that pout away and your snorkel back in, the fish will still be there on the way back.”

Waverly grinned, fixing her equipment back in place and linking her fingers through Nicole’s.

**********************************************************************************

Nicole sat back against the edge of the dive boat, her face turned to the sun. Strange as she knew it was, she loved the prickle of salt drying across her skin under the sun’s rays; a physical reminder of a day spent in the ocean. She tried desperately to ignore the way her skin flushed as Waverly’s thigh brushed lightly against her own with the rock of the boat on the waves. The surface dive hadn’t been her intention; she’d planned to dive deeper and further out with the kit she had stashed under the deck, but she’d known the moment she’d seen the nerves in Waverly’s face that she wouldn’t be swimming alone. Now she was grateful for it. It had been one of the best dives she’d had in a long time, basking in the awe and excitement that radiated from the brunette beside her even under the water. She cast her mind back to nine years ago, the day she’d jumped from the edge of a dive boat with a snorkel and goggles for the very first time. The excitement, the anticipation, the newness of everything around her. She’d felt it all today, as if she was diving through Waverly’s eyes, and something in the way it felt had flipped a switch in Nicole’s mind. Her naivety the last time she’d seen Waverly stunned her now, as she played her own thoughts back. _Still a woman right? Just the same as always._ No. Absolutely not. Not even nearly the same as always. The way that Nicole felt around Waverly was something new entirely, and she had absolutely no idea how she was supposed to handle any of it; how she was supposed to express any of it. She was in way over her head.

“Can I get you a drink?”

The brunette’s voice beside her pulled her out of her daze and she blushed, as though her thoughts had been painted across her skin for Waverly to see.

“Please, actually. Just... a soda or something? Thank you.”

Nicole watched as Waverly retreated, unable to keep her eyes from the way her hips swayed as she walked, the curve of her ass only just covered by the material of her bikini. She felt her heart drop to her stomach as she noticed Wynonna’s eyes on her, narrowed and her lips pursed. _Ah shit_. Rumbled, by someone else she really didn’t want to think of her as some kind of womanizer.

“How was your dive? Beautiful out there right?” Nicole smiled as she spoke, desperately trying to keep her voice light and push the conversation into safe territory before it began.

“Don’t you charm me, I’m watching you, Haught-stuff. You treat my baby sister like another one of your conquests, and I will not hesitate to bend your spine through your face.” Wynonna leaned a little closer as she spoke, the hint of genuine threat flaring behind piercing blue eyes as they fixed on Nicole’s.

“Wh- what does that even mean?” Nicole balked, swallowing hard. She winced, but held her stance steady as Wynonna leaned closer.

“Don’t find out.” Wynonna quirked an eyebrow, and Nicole exhaled quietly as she sat back, putting safe distance between them once more.

Nicole suppressed a smirk as she studied the brunette. She couldn’t deny that she held a somewhat perturbed level of admiration for Wynonna’s words, recognizing in the elder Earp the same protective assertiveness that Nicole held in her own behavior when she cared about someone. Over Jeremy, over Dolls, over Rosita. Over Waverly, she recalled, only minutes after meeting her. There was something in Wynonna that Nicole respected, almost immediately. Unpredictable, brash and brazen. Fiercely loyal and fiercely protective. Nicole was aware that her thoughts were intensely presumptuous, but she couldn’t help but feel that Wynonna carried the aura of a woman whose strength came from darkness; something Nicole understood only too well. She figured that Wynonna was someone who could only be leveled with. There was no charming her way around anything, and no gain in doing so even if she could. She grinned.

“Your sister put me straight in my place before I even tried, Earp. Waverly is _nothing_ like the girls who usually fall for that bullshit. You know that, I know that.” Nicole laughed, the truth behind her next words registering in her brain moments before she spoke them. “I’m pretty sure she knows that.”

Wynonna’s face seemed to soften, amusingly some time around the word ‘bullshit’. If Nicole was correct in her read of the brunette, she was someone who knew the powers of a façade only too well. Maybe she could see through Nicole’s just as easily. Seemingly satisfied with the answer she was given, Wynonna nodded and pursed her lips, suppressing a smile as Waverly headed back towards them. Nicole could still feel Wynonna’s eyes on her, and tried not to watch the way Waverly’s abs tensed as she balanced on the boat’s rocking movements, working not to spill the tray of drinks in her hands.

Nicole watched as Waverly handed the drinks to her friends, and thanked her as she passed her a coke. She breathed a sigh of relief as she spotted Wynonna back in conversation with Chrissy, and she relaxed back against the boat as Waverly sat down beside her, a shy smile on her face.

“Thank you, Nicole. For today.”

The brunette’s words were soft, almost reserved, and something in it took Nicole’s breath away for a moment. She watched Waverly’s face, only realizing as the brunette smirked that she was staring, and that she hadn’t replied. She felt the prickle of a blush creep over her cheeks, and she smiled shyly.

“You kinda seem really at home out in the water. It suits you.”

Waverly’s eyes shone as she spoke, and Nicole smiled, warmth spreading through her chest at the words. She turned in her seat, looking down over the water below them, at the harsh roar as the boat split through it, and then away, rippling gradually into the smooth pulse in the distance.

“I love the ocean. I love the way it always seems so calming, despite being our most unexplored and unconquered thing on the planet. It always feels like it could hold the answers to anything you asked it, but it will forever keep them a secret.”

Nicole turned her eyes back to Waverly as she finished speaking, feeling her stomach flip as she was met with hazel-green eyes already looking back at her. The intensity of the brunette’s gaze made Nicole feel exposed somehow; a little vulnerable for a moment. She chuckled, shaking her head. “Maybe that made more sense in my head.”

Waverly smiled, her eyes sparkling. She turned her gaze back to the water, and Nicole watched her face as she began to speak softly, slowly.

“I read that the Calusa tribe, who originally occupied the Florida Keys, believed that every person had three souls. One located in the pupil of the eye, one in the shadow that they cast, and one in the image they see in their reflection. It’s said that the Calusa believed that when a person died, two of the souls left their body and entered the animals around them, but that the one in the eye would stay in the body. The living would often go to the place of burial and openly speak with the deceased, asking for the answers to their problems as if they were alive.”

Waverly paused, her brows furrowing slightly, turning her eyes to Nicole’s, an almost apologetic look settled within them. She looked hesitant, as if she were afraid somehow to continue. Nicole kept her gaze on Waverly’s, willing the brunette wordlessly to continue, entranced by the way she spoke so passionately and so eloquently about her interests. She smiled softly as Waverly’s face relaxed, and she seemed to recognize Nicole’s silence as a cue to continue.

“Allegedly, the Calusa _also_ believed that water was a barrier between the living and the dead. So, early Calusa used to bury the deceased under the water - usually the ocean. So...” Waverly looked back out at the water. “I guess in the eyes of the native Floridians, yeah. Like you said. The ocean just might hold the answers.”

Nicole exhaled slowly, her gaze lingering a little longer on the brunette’s face before she turned back to the water. Holy shit, she was in trouble.


	4. Paradise Learned

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so turns out I'm writing this faster than I thought I would right now, and I get too excited to wait to post ;)
> 
> Let me know what you think :)
> 
> Geographical inaccuracies as always.

Nicole sat on the edge of the pool, her feet dangling in the water, keeping score of a game of water polo with Jeremy on the opposite side. It had been four days since she had last seen Waverly, and she felt strangely comforted to see the brunette in the water before her now.

Something had felt different for Nicole over the past week. Really different. It had been a long time coming and she knew it had; the things around her slowly holding less of her attention, and her lust for the life she’d once loved fading slowly. As grateful as she was for the opportunities and for the escape that Florida had given her for nine years of her life, Nicole couldn’t help but wish that there was something just a little _more_ for her. More drive, more passion, more stability, more security. More... she swallowed, unable to coherently form the thoughts that clutched at the back of her mind. She thought once more of the Police Academy application forms that lay in her apartment, this time over the kitchen counter after another night of staring at the pages. Every page was tattered around the edges. She’d had them for ten years. Useless and outdated, never to be filled in and she knew it; long since replaced with an online process, but she’d never been able to bring herself to throw the pages away. Eighteen years, and no other dream had ever been stronger, but the pain that burned in the back of her throat and the grip that held tight in her chest was stronger still; somehow easier to bury than it was to face.

Jeremy’s voice calling across the water caught Nicole’s attention for a moment, and she watched as he tried nervously to call a foul play on something Champ had done, offering him a reassuring grin as he caught her eye. She loved Jeremy; loved her friends, but she always felt like they had an expiration date, people never staying in this life for long. She watched Waverly, her sister and her lifelong friends around her, and she couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy for the family she’d never had. Not really. She’d read a word in a book once, years ago now, that had always stuck, chiming softly in her ears in moments like this one. _Hiraeth_. Welsh, if she remembered correctly. A melancholic homesickness for something that one cannot or has never experienced. For years, Florida had been Nicole’s life, but there had always been a part of her that had known it couldn’t be forever. Not a home, not really. Neither though, could Toronto, and the pain and the darkness that she’d left behind her.

She’d felt all of these things for some time now, burning slowly in the back of her mind, each new season throwing one more log onto the fire. This week though, it felt like something had snapped. The usual log now gasoline, sparking an inferno. _Waverly._ She barely knew the girl, she was aware, but it wasn’t about that. For the first time in nine years, Nicole wanted someone _not_ to see her as the cocky party goer whose only cares were women and tequila. For the first time, she didn’t want to hide behind the image that she’d let carry on for years longer than it had really held any truth. It was, quite frankly, fucking terrifying. But it was the blaze that she needed, and Nicole wanted in. She wanted to figure out how to face her truths. She wanted to figure out what she wanted from life, and she wanted to learn how and where to start to build the home she’d craved for so long.

She could almost feel, rather than see Waverly’s eyes on hers as the brunette swam towards her, but the movement snapped her from her thoughts and she blushed as she realized how long she’d been staring.

“Either you really have stepped things up a notch with your persistence, creeper, or you’re really lost in thought.” Waverly’s words were teasing, her usual cheeky smirk playing at her lips, but her voice was soft and the concern laced in her honey eyes was unmissable. “You okay?”

“You and I both know I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t enjoying my view...” Nicole grinned, silently noting the way the brunette’s presence seemed to ground her, the flirtatious comment falling naturally from her lips. “But yeah I was a little distracted for a bit there, sorry.”

“Please never apologize again for having thoughts and feelings that go beyond perving over me in a bikini, Haught.” Waverly teased, though her eyes seemed to sparkle with something brighter than the increasingly familiar dirty smirk that pulled at her lips. She paused, just long enough for Nicole to notice the way hazel eyes flicked fleetingly to her lips. “There’s hope for you yet.”

Waverly quirked an eyebrow as she crossed her arms over the edge of the pool, looking up at Nicole through darkened eyes, that damn smirk sending jolts of electricity down the redhead’s spine. The air seemed to grow thicker for a moment – hotter, harder to breathe - and Nicole felt frozen in her place as an unforgiving wave of arousal coursed through her veins. Just for a moment. And then it was gone. The bright sparkle back in Waverly’s eyes, her voice light as it broke through the momentary silence.

“Right. I need your help. Jeremy - single and gay, right? I’ve read this right?”

Nicole blinked, the flush of her skin and the slight heave of her chest lingering a little too long as she fought to play catch up. How had Waverly managed to ground her so easily one moment, and then completely knock her for six not fifteen seconds later without doing or saying a single thing that Nicole could put her finger on? She cleared her throat, willing her brain desperately to take a purchase on the words that bounced around in her ears. She chuckled lightly as she finally managed to process the question she’d been asked.

“Oh yeah, and _so_ into Robin.”

“As obvious as it looks. Okay.” Waverly grinned. “So they seem to be about as useless as each other, and they have barely managed to string three sentences together between them. In total. Since we got here.”

Nicole winced, remembering the encounters she had been unfortunate enough to witness, and Waverly laughed.

“ _So,_ I think that maybe they could use a little... _encouragement._ ”

“I can see trouble in your eyes, Earp.” Nicole grinned, her teeth closing instinctively over her bottom lip. Another trickle of heat pooled in her stomach as she watched the brunette’s eyes trace the movement. “I like it. What are you thinking?”

“When’s your next day off? Both of you?” Waverly smiled widely, her voice honeyed. Only the flicker of fire in her eyes betrayed the picture of sweet innocence, and Nicole couldn’t help but grin.

“Day after tomorrow. _Why_?”

“Keep it free.” Waverly grinned as she pushed back from the pool edge, throwing one last cheeky wink over her shoulder.

Nicole shook her head, her heart thumping in her chest. She glanced at Jeremy, chuckling softly as she watched his eyes follow Robin’s movements in the pool, a vacant smile pulling at his cheeks. She felt a sudden surge of affection for her friend, noting the same torment in his eyes that she knew must be present in her own. She laughed, shaking her head to herself. They were both _so_ done for.

***********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Waverly took a sip of her gin cocktail, giggling at the jokes that flew between her friends. They’d been in the hotel bar for nearly two hours, and Waverly could see the buzz of the alcohol starting to take its hold on the rest of the group. She had not had much to drink herself, never finding she really enjoyed more than the light buzz of a few glasses. They planned to go out into the town, but so far the free flow of alcohol in the all-inclusive hotel had been preferable, and it appeared to be taking its toll a little too hard on a hazy eyed and slurring Robin.

“Right, come on! Let’s move this party on!” Wynonna stood as she spoke, throwing the rest of her whiskey back in a single shot. The alcohol had not affected her quite as strongly just yet, its only sign the slightly wilder fire behind her piercing blue eyes.

The group murmured their agreement, finishing drinks and moving to stand. Waverly grasped at Robin in an effort to support him as he immediately stumbled, falling backwards and dragging two stools down with him, landing sprawled across the bar floor. Chrissy joined Waverly in her effort to hoist him up, giggling at his slurred insistence that he was, in fact, fine.

“I think maybe _someone_ has had a little too much to go any further?” Chrissy teased, wrapping Robin’s arm around her shoulders.

“Have you?” Robin looked at her quizzically, his brows furrowed in confusion.

“No, you fool, I mean you.” Chrissy laughed, taking Robin’s weight as Waverly fell back to give them room to manoeuvre. “Come on, let’s get you upstairs, we don’t need to go to town.”

“ _Wait_ wait wait wait wait.” Robin’s voice slurred further as the words ran into each other, and he dragged Chrissy to a halt. “Is Jeremy gonna be there?”

“In your room?” Chrissy knotted her eyebrows as Robin pushed his forehead against hers, a sloppy grin spreading slowly across his face.

“Well _that_ would be a _very_ good thing.” He giggled, both Chrissy and Waverly catching the infectious laugh. “But _noooo._ Is Jeremy gonna be in _town_?”

“No, I don’t think so.” Chrissy looked to Waverly for confirmation, who simply shrugged and grinned. Whatever the truth, it was probably safer to go with no.

“Oh... then okay, I think maybe let’s not go to town.” Robin looked dejected for a moment, before the lopsided smile spread back across his face, his glazed eyes crossing as he tried to focus them on Chrissy’s. “Jeremy is very cute. Don’t you think he’s hot? I am gonna... I’m gonna ask him out. Do you...”

Waverly’s eyebrows shot up in amusement as Robin turned, pointing his finger at her as he stumbled through his words.

“Do you have his number? Imma ask him now! Do you think he likes waterparks?”

“Mmhmm. Maybe let’s come back to that tomorrow, ‘k Casanova?” Chrissy grinned, exchanging a chuckle and an eye roll with Waverly, before she wrapped her arm back around Robin’s waist and turned them both back towards the exit.

“Okay wait _hold up a second.”_ Wynonna practically hissed, her eyes wide as she stepped in front of Waverly, halting her path out of the bar. “We’re putting him to bed and going out right? Waves?”

Waverly paused. She had assumed not, but the disappointment in Wynonna’s eyes made her feel guilty, and she shrugged.

“Oh come _on_! _Please?_ ” Wynonna put her hands together, her tone pleading and her brows furrowed over her wide eyes.

“You guys go!” Chrissy yelled back over her shoulder. “I’ll stay with Robin.”

Waverly sighed, bidding her goodnights to Robin and Chrissy, and following Wynonna out of the hotel lobby. She didn’t really want to go to the bars; the thumping music and the pulsing bodies not really her choice of scene. But she’d never had a chance to go out like this with her sister, and she’d missed her, the three years she’d been away leaving Waverly lonelier and more desperate than ever to get out of the town in which she’d spend her entire life. She’d thrown every lonely hour into building her own reputation, working to rid herself of the burdens of her family name. Working, beneath the surface, to escape. But then 10 months ago Wynonna had returned. It had been strained at first, three years changing a lot, but the love had never left and they quickly fell back into the strong bond they’d always had. In fact, if she was honest with herself, Wynonna’s presence now left Waverly less sure that she really did want to leave. Purgatory was kind of starting to feel like home again.

They reached the town, the strip of bars thrumming with pumping music and brash voices. Wynonna dragged her into a dark bar, heaving with sweaty bodies and sticky floors and not nearly enough clothing. They found seats at the bar, and Wynonna immediately began to throw back shots. Waverly had never been to a bar like this one with her sister, but she knew that Wynonna could drink. Knew that she _would_ drink, and so she shouldn’t really have been surprised. Still, she couldn’t help the growing feeling of unease as the bar grew busier, the music grew louder, and Wynonna got slowly more intoxicated, and in turn closer and closer to one of the guys she recognised from their hotel – Pete. Until eventually, there was no longer any space between them, and Waverly had to excuse herself with a grimace. Wynonna would regret that one in the morning, but he seemed harmless enough and the elder Earp was not a force to be reckoned with when drunk, so Waverly figured it wasn’t worth the intervention.

She turned to head away from the bar, sighing heavily as she spotted Champ making his way towards her through the crowd. He had been nothing short of tenacious around the hotel, constantly hounding Waverly every time she’d seen him, with his self-indulged chat and his peacocking. Waverly ducked, weaving her way through the crowds to avoid him. She could _not_ deal with him right now, and honestly she just needed air. She rolled her eyes as she took another look back at Wynonna, who was now pressing Pete against the wall to the side of the bar, and made her decision. They were just ten minutes from the hotel, and at least she knew that Pete would also be heading back there. If Wynonna could survive on her own in Europe for three years, she could survive on her own in a bar for one night. Waverly turned, pushing her way through the bodies and out onto the street. She pulled her phone from her bag, sending Wynonna a text. It was unlikely she would read it, but at least if she noticed Waverly was gone, it would stop her from panicking. She checked the time. Only just past midnight.

The streets were busier than they’d been when Waverly had arrived, people drinking on the sidewalks and stumbling across the roads, singing and shouting and swaying. The distraction was enough that Waverly started to lose her bearings, realizing only too soon that she really had no idea where she was. She was starting to feel a little frustrated with the way this night had gone, irritation and impatience bubbling in her chest and hazing her senses. She took her phone out once more, pulling the maps app open and typing in the name of the hotel. She growled in frustration, pressing the phone against her forehead as the app told her she didn’t have enough internet signal to find her location. She took a deep breath, looking around her. She didn’t recognize anything she saw, and her agitation was starting to give way to anxiety. Rationally she knew that if she just calmed down and retraced her steps, she could easily figure out where she was, but she was agitated and a little uneasy and she knew that she’d worked herself into a state of anxiety that would cloud her mind and make it harder to find her way. Fumbling nervously with her phone, she dialed Chrissy’s number, feeling the prickle in the back of her eyes; tears of frustration threatening to fall as the call rang off. She tried again, to no avail.

Waverly took a deep breath, her heart pounding against her chest as she considered her options. She had no internet, and everyone she knew here was drunk and unable to help. Except... Waverly’s shoulders dropped slightly as she remembered Nicole’s words. _Save this number in your phone... in case you get lost._ She dialed the number, her fingers crossed at her side as she willed the rep to answer.

“Hello?”

The voice on the other end was a little husky and a little uncertain, but unmistakably Nicole, and Waverly felt the relief hit her hard, her words rushing out faster than she could control them.

“Nicole! Oh my god, thank you. It’s Waverly.”

“Waverly?” The rep’s voice was clearer now, laced with surprise. “Hey! Are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m just erm... I’m a little lost. I’m so sorry to call you, and I know it’s late, and you’re probably out, or oh my _god_ are you with someone?” Waverly’s mind swam, a mix of relief and guilt and the stress that still coursed through her, and her words tumbled without preamble or pause for response. “I’m _so_ sorry if you are, I didn’t know who else to call and Wynonna is with Pete and Champ was pissing me off before he even spoke to me and I just don’t know how to get back to the hotel, and...”

“Waverly! Waves...” Nicole’s reassuring voice cut her off, and Waverly could swear she could hear the redhead’s smile through the phone. “It’s okay! What can you see around you?”

“Erm... some bar called Hog’s Breath and a Tortilla House.” Waverly wrinkled her nose. “Who names a bar Hog’s Breath?”

“Stay there Wave, I’ll be ten minutes.”

Nicole’s voice now carried traces of amusement, but the firm reassurance that sounded within it reminded Waverly instantly of the way the redhead had eased her fears on the dive boat so easily. She could hear the rustling in the background of Nicole moving about, and realized for the first time that she couldn’t hear music, or voices.

“Really? You don’t have to come get me, honestly. You can just tell me how to get back, or help me get a cab?”

Calmer with the redhead’s voice in her ears, Waverly’s guilt crept to the forefront of her mind. She didn’t want to ruin Nicole’s evening, and she knew that she wasn’t far from the hotel really.

“Don’t move. Ten minutes.”

As the line rang off, Waverly felt her muscles relax, and she breathed a sigh of relief. She let her lips curl into a small smile at Nicole’s words - the calm insistence, and the way she hadn’t responded to any of Waverly’s rambling guesses at what she might have been doing, knowing that whatever the answer, it would only have sparked more guilt.

“Hey gorgeous, need a ride?”

Waverly snapped her head up, locking her gaze instantly on the redhead standing just a few metres in front of her, cocky grin spread across her face. Her hair hung loose around her shoulders, and Waverly allowed her eyes to drag down over the leather jacket and the plain white t shirt she wore below it, to ripped black jeans and heavy set boots. She swallowed hard, feeling her stomach flip, her skin flushing a little warmer as she forced her eyes back to Nicole’s smirking face. She grinned, shaking her head in amusement at the greeting. _Typical._

“I’m just parked at the end of this road. It’s a one way, wasn’t worth trying to come down it.” Nicole quirked an eyebrow, gesturing for Waverly to join her. Her face softened, and she smiled that dimpled grin as Waverly fell into step beside her.

They fell into easy conversation, Waverly explaining the night and Robin’s drunken ramblings to an amused Nicole as they walked. As they reached the end of the road, Nicole came to a stop beside a reasonably small, sleek motorcycle, helmets hanging from either handle. Waverly faltered, her eyebrow quirking instinctively, her heart beating a little harder against her ribs.

“I hope you don’t mind, but erm... this is me.” Nicole grinned and shrugged, turning towards the bike to unhook the helmets.

Waverly sighed, her words hushing from her lips before she had the chance to stop them.

“Oh, _honestly_. As if you needed to be any sexier.”

 _Shit._ Waverly held her breath, her cheeks flushing hot as Nicole spun around, her eyebrows raised. She felt the blush spread across her neck as the redhead’s surprised expression spread into a smug grin, and she cocked her eyebrow, tilting her head to the side.

“Waverly Earp, did you just call me sexy?” Nicole’s voice was velvet, deliberately teasing and deliberately suggestive. She grinned, even her dimples appearing smug as she took a step towards the brunette, swinging the helmet in her hand.

“Absolutely not, I was talking to the bike.” Waverly knew her fierce blush would be visible under the street lighting, but she couldn’t help but grin at the satisfied expression on the redhead’s face. “Oh, fuck you.”

“Yeah, kinda sounds like you would.”

Nicole’s voice was deliberately lower, and her smirk was nothing short of filthy. Waverly shook her head and scoffed, trying desperately to take back the control, but the fire behind mocha eyes burned in her core. She dropped her gaze, scanning her eyes over the bike. Anything to cool the heat of both embarrassment and arousal that had overwhelmed her so suddenly.

She reached out for the helmet, risking a glance back at Nicole’s face as she handed it over. The smirk was still there, but her eyes were softer and there was a hint of a blush over her own cheeks that made Waverly feel a little more assured. She grinned, pulling the helmet onto her head.

“On a scale of one to ten, how tired are you?” Nicole’s cheeky grin was back, the warmth in her eyes a little less fiery, replaced with something strangely endearing that Waverly couldn’t quite put her finger on.

“Erm... like a four. Why?” She wrinkled her nose, her brows furrowed in confusion.

“Because, Waverly Earp. The night is still young.” Nicole grinned, winking as she pulled her own helmet over her head and straddled the bike. She held her hand out for Waverly, helping her climb on behind her.

Waverly cursed the butterflies that beat in her stomach as she wrapped her arms tentatively around Nicole’s waist, shuffling forward against the redhead’s back. As the bike picked up its speed, and Nicole began to weave it through the streets, Waverly was forced to tighten her grip, and the butterflies multiplied in their millions. She tried her hardest not to notice the way the muscles of the rep’s stomach tensed under her arms as she manoeuvred the bike, or the way the warmth and the occasional roll and shift of her body felt, pressed firmly between Waverly’s legs. Or the way the scent of vanilla was almost overwhelming. Seriously, this really was the _last_ thing she needed in her efforts to control the growing crush she was trying so hard to fight.

Nicole pulled the bike in to park only a few minutes later, and Waverly scanned their surroundings as she climbed down, removing her helmet. The harbor lay to their right, the lights of the night around them bouncing softly from the boats that bobbed on the gentle waters. The breeze was light enough to be warm still, but it carried the scent of the ocean far enough to mix with the smells of food that wafted from the restaurants lining the streets. Waverly fell easily into step beside Nicole, wandering slowly along the harbor, her eyes taking in the people in the cafés and the restaurants, at tables scattered beyond the confines of the buildings and out onto the cobbled streets. Musicians played gently along the water’s edge, their separate songs fading softly into each other as Waverly and Nicole passed them by. The area was lively still, but the atmosphere was different here. More relaxed. Nicole led them past the bars and the restaurants, and Waverly furrowed her brows, curiosity humming in her mind as they made their way towards a collection of old abandoned office buildings. Waverly could hear the music and the thrum of people picking up again as they approached, and she craned her neck as she tried to make sense of the location, her intrigue peaked. She followed Nicole inquisitively as she led her through a narrow walkway between two of the stone grey buildings, her eyes widening and her lips spreading into an astonished smile as they emerged into a large square courtyard, hidden between the abandoned buildings. The walls on this side were painted floor to ceiling with murals and various forms of street art; slogans and faces and bright bursts of color. A stage lay across the back of the yard, a wide space to dance crossing in front of it, and the square was lined with vintage style carts and booths selling food and drink. The area between the vendors was filled with upturned crates and barrels, and chairs of varying bright colors. Lights and paper lanterns strung between the buildings overhead cast the area in a warm glow, and the dusty ground beneath their feet _almost_ looked like sand in the glimmer of the light. To the far corner of the courtyard, a game of skittles and a game of giant Jenga were being played, and various other lawn style games that Waverly couldn’t quite identify. The stage was occupied with musicians – the air filled with a sound that wasn’t quite as energetic as Soca, but not quite as chilled as reggae. People of all ages danced in the open space before it, and Waverly felt her own muscles start to move subtly with the beat of the music. She beamed. The place was incredible. She turned to face Nicole, her gaze meeting soft eyes and a warm smile.

“I would ask what I can get you to drink, _but_... I think you should trust me on this one and let me educate you.” Nicole grinned, her lower lip caught between her teeth, her eyes shining. “Also, you hungry?”

“I could eat! I’m vegan though.” She flicked her eyes around the courtyard, searching for a vendor that might catch her eye.

“Even better.” Nicole grinned, and gestured towards the upturned crates in the center of the courtyard. “Why don’t you grab us a table? I’ll be right back. Just... trust my judgement.”

Waverly chuckled, shaking her head as Nicole winked and backed away towards the booths. If anyone else had told her she wouldn’t be choosing her own food and drink she would have told them _right_ where to shove it, but there was something so cheeky and assured in the redhead’s eyes that she couldn’t help but be curious.

She made her way through the bustling square, finding a small empty table free; an overturned barrel with a red tabletop, two high stools either side. She exhaled slowly as she absorbed her surroundings, her body pulsing lightly with the music. It was hard to believe that less than thirty minutes ago she’d been close to tears, anxiety and stress and frustration consuming her. Now, she felt relaxed; buoyed by the laid back atmosphere of the place around her. It felt like a festival. She grinned widely, cocking an eyebrow as Nicole made her way back towards her, balancing a tray of food and drink.

“This is a French Monaco.” Nicole’s tongue nestled in the corner of her lips in concentration as she balanced the tray on one hand, distributing its contents with the other. “It’s just beer, lemonade and strawberry syrup, but honestly you cannot come here and drink anything else. And _this_...”

The food smelled incredible, and Waverly felt her mouth water as the plate was lowered before her. Her eyes widened in anticipation, and Nicole grinned as she continued.

“Is the best vegan chilli dog you will ever eat in your life, and if you tell me any different I’m taking you back to fend for yourself against Champ and your sister.”

Waverly laughed openly, not caring about the probable mess as she wrapped her fingers around the hot dog, taking a considerably larger than polite bite.

“Oh my _god_.” She moaned, immediately circling a chilli covered thumb and forefinger together, gesturing to Nicole. The universal sign for perfect!

“Right!?” Nicole chuckled, biting messily into her own food, her eyes searching Waverly’s face as she swallowed. “So speaking of... how is it going with Champ?”

Waverly halted, slowing her chewing as she smirked through her mouthful. She raised an eyebrow, connecting her eyes with Nicole’s. The redhead’s tone of voice had been playful, intending to tease, but the slight reddening of her cheeks under Waverly’s gaze now hinted at a bashful jealousy that flipped a little in Waverly’s stomach. She swallowed, shaking her head as she huffed out a laugh.

“He is an over-eager boy-man who thinks shaking his tail feathers is the way to a girl’s bed.”

“And is it?” Nicole grinned, leaning back in her seat.

“You tell me, _Hoyuelas_.” Waverly dropped her voice, husking the nickname in her perfect Spanish intonation, and punctuated her words with a wink. She grinned, her eyes dropping instinctively to Nicole’s lips as the redhead laughed. “What’s the deal with Steph?”

“ _Ugh_ there is no deal. I shook my tail feathers the night before the welcome meeting.” Nicole grinned, half rolling her eyes. “Then I ran away while she was in the bathroom, and locked myself in my apartment for the night.”

“ _What?_ ” Waverly laughed loudly. “I thought it wasn’t like you to turn down a warm bed?”

“It happens more than people seem to believe these days.” Nicole’s eyes dropped to the table, and she picked at her food. Her smirk was still plastered across her face, but her voice was a little softer than it had been, and the blush that graced her cheeks spread across her neck.

“You sure you’re not just losing your touch?” Waverly teased.

“I’m just not interested anymore.” Nicole’s eyes flicked back to Waverly’s for a moment, before she turned them towards the stage. Her voice was lower, like she felt shame somehow, in the words that left her lips. “Honestly, in any of it really.”

“What do you mean?” Waverly’s voice was soft, gently pushing Nicole to expand.

There was a pause. A little too long. Waverly held her breath, afraid that if she let it out then she wouldn’t be able to resist the urge to fill the silence, and something in Nicole’s face seemed to tell her she needed to answer. She needed the moment. Nicole’s eyes turned back to Waverly’s, something wistful clouding behind the mocha. Waverly exhaled slowly as the redhead began to speak.

“I’ve been doing this since I was eighteen. When you’re eighteen, and you’re...” She trailed off, her voice brittle, the wistful haze in her eyes betraying a pain that Waverly would swear she could feel for her. Nicole took a deep breath, her voice a little stronger as she changed tact. “It used to make me feel empowered, to lose myself in drink and bars and girls. It was an easy escape...”

Nicole trailed off again, shifting awkwardly in her seat. She dropped her eyes to the table, bringing her glass to her lips, and Waverly bit her own to ensure she wouldn’t speak. She could feel the honesty in Nicole’s words; see it in her eyes; and she wanted her to say as much or as little as she wanted to, without interruption or pressure. Nicole swallowed, putting her glass down, but keeping her fingers wrapped around it. She kept her eyes trained on her glass, the words seeming to flow easier from her chest without her gaze on Waverly’s.

“It used to make me feel wanted to have girls look at me like that. To know that I could pull on the strings, and they would fold. It made me feel like I was something special. It sounds _so_ naïve now.” Nicole blushed, a shy chuckle falling from her lips. “I know now - have known for a _really_ long time - that all I ever really am is a conquest. A mark off a bucket list. Those girls don’t want me, they want my attention. And I don’t want them, I want the distraction.”

Nicole’s eyes flicked back to Waverly’s and she shrugged, offering a small, timid smile.

“What do you want the distraction from?” Waverly’s voice was almost hoarse, and she swallowed the lump in her throat. She’d not expected Nicole to open up in this way, and the shy hesitation in her words and the rueful haze in her eyes was such a far cry from the cocky confidence that she usually exuded that Waverly couldn’t help but feel a little emotional.

Nicole faltered, her eyes closing for the briefest of moments, before they locked once more with Waverly’s, something of an apology seeming to flicker behind them.

“Another time.”

Waverly nodded. The words seemed to carry a genuine promise, and she had no desire to push Nicole to divulge anything she wasn’t ready to share. She hesitated. The air had changed, and she knew that it was probably the fairest option to steer the conversation in another direction now. But she couldn’t deny that she’d really liked the way that Nicole had opened up to her, and she wasn’t quite ready to close the door just yet. And she had just one more burning question.

“Why do you pretend?”

“I...” Surprise registered instantly in Nicole’s face, and she hesitated. The emotions in her eyes seemed to fade from one to the next; surprise into uncertainty, and slowly into understanding. “Sometimes when the sun is down, and I’m amongst the music and the alcohol and the strangers, and the expectations of people who have always known me as that person, I... I guess I’m not always sure who I am without it.”

Waverly wanted to say something. She wanted to thank Nicole for saying the words that seemed to have been hard for her to say. She wanted to tell Nicole that actually, that kind of made sense to her. To explain that she felt the same way about herself sometimes, always trying to be who other people believed she was, and that sometimes that made her unsure of who she would be without that pressure. She wanted to, but she couldn’t, the words not quite forming on her lips. Instead she poured everything she could into her gaze and she smiled, watching Nicole’s face soften and her eyes sparkle as she seemed to relax, her dimples popping back into her smile.

“Come on. Let’s go and enjoy the music a little closer up.” Waverly grinned as she spoke, gesturing towards the stage with a nod of her head.

They stood side by side to the back of the dance area, both simply letting their bodies sway naturally with the music, neither feeling the pressure to do anything more than just absorb the sound and the atmosphere and the gently increasing comfort of each other’s company. Waverly tilted her eyes to Nicole, watching the way the lights overhead tangled in the red of her hair, and the way her lips were fixed in a half smile as she watched the stage, her dimples subtle but still present. Her face carried the same softer look that it had held out in the ocean, and it made sense to Waverly now.

“Hey, Nicole...” Waverly nudged the redhead gently with her hip, smiling as she turned her head to face her. “This is who you are without it.”

Waverly grinned, and the butterflies swarmed in her stomach at the smile she received in response. A truly genuine smile, all full lips and dimples and crinkled, shining eyes. Not a single aspect of it looked rehearsed or deliberate, and it was quite possibly the fucking sexiest thing she’d ever seen. Well _shit._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone is interested, the place Nicole takes Waverly is based on a place called Belle du Gabut in La Rochelle, France. I'm sure there are so many places like it across the world, but this is the one I fell in love with! If you ever find yourself in La Rochelle in the summer, go! =)


	5. Paradise Ignited

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one took a little longer than planned - I've pored over it for far too long, changing things and not feeling 100% with it! Please let me know what you think! =)

Waverly exchanged a cheeky grin with Chrissy as they headed across the sand towards Doc’s boat hut. She’d text Nicole earlier that morning telling her to grab Jeremy and meet them here at 2pm. If Jeremy and Robin were having a little difficulty finding the right situation in which to talk to each other, then Waverly and Chrissy would help them out. They’d hire pedalos, and force the boys to spend an hour at sea together. Easy.

Waverly was nervous. She’d not seen Nicole since their impromptu evening out two nights ago, and the butterflies swam in her stomach at the thought of seeing the rep again now. She’d been trying to fight her ever growing crush since the first time she’d seen Nicole, telling herself she didn’t want to be a conquest, but she was fast beginning to understand that her reasons were unsubstantial. Waverly’s breath hitched as the boat hut came into view, and she felt her heart beat harder against her chest as the nerves intensified. She’d not been able to think of anything but Nicole since she’d seen her last, and she felt like something had shifted between them now. The look in dark mocha eyes as Nicole had spoken about her reputation had made Waverly feel guilty for every assumption she’d made, and she wanted the rep to know that she saw beyond it. She still wasn’t _quite_ ready to play straight into Nicole’s hands; she definitely still wanted to make the redhead sweat a little, but she’d be lying if she said that her reservations weren’t melting away one by one with every meet.

As the group neared the boat hut, Waverly's stomach flipped and she felt the prickle of heat under her skin as her eyes landed on Nicole, familiar to her even from behind. Even if she’d wanted to, she couldn’t have stopped her gaze from trailing over the way the waistband of tiny board shorts sat just below the dimples in the redhead’s back, bare in her black bikini. Or over the way the patterned material hugged tight over the curves of her ass, ending high on lightly tanned thighs. She shot her eyes up quickly as Nicole turned to face the approaching group, praying that the blush she could feel spread across her cheeks wouldn’t be noticeable. The flicker of intrigue behind dark eyes and the smug smirk that graced the redhead’s lips told her she’d been caught, and she blushed deeper.

“You alright Waves? You look a little _Haught_ and bothered.” Chrissy teased, nudging Waverly lightly with her shoulder.

Chrissy’s voice barely registered through Waverly’s lust hazed brain and she nodded dumbly, breaking from her trance just a little too slowly. As the teasing words processed in her mind, Waverly snapped her eyes to Chrissy’s, unable to resist a chuckle at her friend’s knowing look.

“Shut up.” She grinned, despite her embarrassment. It wasn’t even worth denying, she knew she’d been rumbled.

Waverly smirked as they finally reached the hut, and she turned her gaze to Nicole. She could feel the heat surging heavy under her skin as the redhead’s increasingly darker eyes ran brazenly over her body before flicking back to meet her own. She knew the flush over her skin would be immediately noticeable, and she hoped it would pass as the sun’s burning rays. She swallowed, feeling the heat trickle slowly down her body, pooling in her stomach and between her legs as Nicole’s eyes bore into hers, her tongue running subtly over her lips as they turned up in a smirk. She blinked hard, trying to force a sense of reality back into her rapidly clouding brain.

“So we’ve hired three boats with two seats, so if... wait, where’s Wynonna?” Waverly furrowed her brows, her eyes scanning the group around her.

Jeremy raised an eyebrow, shrugging with a grin as he pointed towards the water. Waverly followed his gesture, shaking her head in amusement as she spotted her sister outwardly flirting with Doc as he pushed out the first of the three boats. She grinned as Doc held out a hand to Wynonna and she ignored it, climbing into the boat with a wink. Waverly felt her arm jostle as Chrissy rushed past her, making her way hastily towards the water.

“Shotgun!” Chrissy sang over her shoulder, throwing a smug grin and a wink in Waverly’s direction as she ran towards the boat, jumping in alongside Wynonna.

Waverly chuckled, shaking her head at her friend. She was pretty sure she didn’t _need_ the help when it came to spending time with Nicole, but she certainly didn’t have any complaints about an hour on the water with the redhead. She grinned, turning back towards the rest of the group. She kept her eyes fixed on Nicole’s as she closed the gap between them, standing closer than she needed to. She smirked as mocha eyes darkened, and she heard the hitch of the redhead’s breath. She reached her fingers forward, boldly lacing them through the ties on the front of Nicole’s board shorts, careful to make sure she didn’t touch the redhead’s body in any way.

“Come on Haught, I want to see if you look as good on a pedalo as you do on a bike.” She husked her voice, and winked as she stepped back, tugging lightly on the ties before dropping them. The mix of surprise, bewildered intrigue, and undeniable arousal that flared behind Nicole’s eyes heated straight through Waverly’s veins, and she bit her lip in satisfaction as she turned away towards the water. The redhead had looked a little taken aback, and Waverly loved that she’d been able to disarm her so easily.

“ _Wait!_ ” Jeremy’s voice was higher than usual, though the words were almost hissed. “Nicole, don’t you _dare_...”

“ _Dude_ get in the boat with Robin, it’s for your own good _and mine_ right now!”

Nicole’s words sounded through gritted teeth, and Waverly chuckled as she heard the exchange, knowing she hadn’t been supposed to. She glanced back over her shoulder just in time to catch Nicole give Jeremy a warning glare before making her way towards her. Waverly shot a half apologetic look to Robin, who shrugged with a grin as he headed after them, turning back to call after a hesitant Jeremy.

“You coming then or what?”

***********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Nicole leaned forwards, propping her elbows on the table in an effort to engage herself in the conversation around her. Rosita and Doc had joined the group at the beach bar, the light pergola overhead offering shaded relief from the late afternoon sun. Nicole was fighting hard to stay focused, Waverly’s thigh pressing lightly against her own under the table consuming her every thought. She was beginning to think it would be impossible for the brunette not to feel the goosebumps that had risen over her skin beneath the touch. The heat from the contact, and the simple fact that Waverly hadn’t moved away, was making Nicole’s head swim a little, but the brunette seemed to be happily engaged in the conversation about the afternoon’s activity without issue and Nicole was determined to keep her shit together as much as she possibly could.

“You guys...” Wynonna laughed, gesturing with her index finger between Robin and Jeremy. “Really need to explain how the hell that boat managed to mug you off so much.”

“I was a _bit_ apprehensive about going down the slide...” Jeremy chuckled, glancing at Robin as he spoke. “You know, because it’s fast and the water is deep and lots of things live in there, and I didn’t want the water to go in my nose or my mouth and... well Robin went down first, so he could wait at the end for me so that I would be less scared!”

“And then the next thing we knew...” Robin’s voice cut through, chuckling along with Wynonna as she threw her head back with laughter. “The boat was several metres from us and we had to chase it!”

“Which is _not_ that easy in the sea.” Jeremy clarified, shaking his head as he laughed.

“Honestly it was the funniest thing, it took you at least ten frantic minutes to get it back.” Wynonna’s voice was breathless, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

Nicole snorted, imagining the scene unfolding before her. Only Jeremy and Robin could manage that. She knew she’d not been far from them when this had happened, but she hadn’t noticed; far too wrapped up in Waverly. The brunette had been more relaxed and flirtier than usual today, and Nicole had been fully entranced as she’d spoken of her degree and her masters, the passion in Waverly’s voice nothing short of captivating. Nicole’s mind was swimming with things she wasn’t used to feeling, and she wasn’t sure how to handle this lack of control over her own emotions. She liked Waverly. _A lot_. That in itself was new for Nicole, but the fact that the ball was well and truly in the brunette’s court was both terrifying and exhilarating, and she honestly felt a little dazed.

“Drink, anyone?” Robin’s voice and the movement as he stood pulled Nicole back into the conversation, and she nodded her head, calling her order as he looked to her.

“I’ll come help you. That bar boy is _really_ hot.” Chrissy grinned, lifting her sunglasses above her eyes as she glanced over towards the tiki bar, Perry spinning his cocktails behind it.

Nicole chuckled as she watched them go, Chrissy fussing with her hair in preparation. She blinked, turning her gaze up as her line of sight was interrupted. A blonde girl, younger than she was by maybe a few years, made her way slowly past the table. The rep fought against the urge to roll her eyes at the deliberate sway of the girl’s hips as she walked, and the way she lifted her sunglasses to her head to ensure her gaze could connect directly with Nicole’s, painted lips curling up into a smirk. The blonde slowed as she passed the table, and Nicole felt a jolt of panic as she realized the girl was waiting for her to stand, or to speak. To make her move. She dropped her gaze, turning her body away, hoping she hadn’t looked for long enough to give the wrong impression. She glanced at Waverly, her heart dropping to her stomach as she met the brunette’s eyes, already watching her. She couldn’t read the expression on Waverly’s face, and she offered a shy smile in an effort to elicit a response.

“The _fuck_ was that, Hoyuelas?” Rosita huffed, her laugh almost mocking, though her tone had been playful.

“Huh?” The words cut through Nicole’s thoughts, and she felt the anxiety multiply in her chest. She tore her eyes from Waverly and turned to face Rosita, her brows furrowed.

“The Haught I know would have been _straight_ on that, what’s the matter with you?” Rosita raised an eyebrow, dropping her voice as she smirked. She kept her eyes trained on Nicole’s, but she tilted her head very slightly towards Waverly as she spoke. “Someone got you whipped?”

Nicole couldn’t help the irritation that seeped through her veins. The girl may well have been attractive, but honestly it hadn’t even registered in Nicole’s brain, and the teasing that she would usually endure good-naturedly was starting to feel almost humiliating. She pursed her lips, willing her brain to give her the right words. She caught Jeremy’s eye, exhaling slightly as he nodded, his lips curling into a reassuring smile.

“I’m going to ask Robin out.”

Nicole exhaled heavily, undeniably grateful to her friend for his intentional distraction as the group scrambled over each other’s words to question his plans. She turned her attention back to Waverly, noting that once more the brunette’s eyes were already on her own, something darker in them than there had been before. She felt her breath catch in her throat as Waverly winked, her grin sending somersaults vaulting through Nicole’s stomach. _Jesus._ Waverly really seemed to have upped her flirting today, and Nicole was unsure if she was reading more than she should be into it. It was making her far more nervous than she could ever remember being around any girl before. She didn’t want to get this wrong; didn’t want to mess it up. She was completely out of her depth, and she knew Waverly knew it, and somehow that only made the brunette _more_ attractive.

Nicole glanced up, chuckling as Robin made his way back towards the table, balancing two trays of drinks. Over his shoulder, Nicole could see Chrissy leant against the tiki bar, talking animatedly to Perry. The redhead eyed Jeremy, gesturing wordlessly to encourage him to move to Robin’s aid. Eyes around the group fell on Jeremy as the table jostled in his clumsy haste to oblige. Robin smiled gratefully as Jeremy took a tray from his hand, then raised an eyebrow in amusement as the rep made no moves to step away, shuffling his feet awkwardly.

“I-I erm... ” Jeremy stuttered, chuckling nervously as he scuffed his feet on the wooden deck. “Would you... maybe, I mean if... you don’t – we don’t....”

Nicole winced, holding her breath. The voices around her had grown hushed, all eyes on the two boys. Robin looked quietly amused, a tiny smile pulling at his lips under the slight reddening of his cheeks. Nicole clenched her fists, silently willing Jeremy to get his words out. She knew how nervous he was, and she’d never seen him successfully manage to secure a date before. She bit her lip in anticipation as Jeremy slammed his eyes shut, his words rushing from his lips in a forced breath.

“Will you go on a date with me?”

Nicole exhaled slowly, the brief moment of silence feeling stifling. Robin grinned widely, hesitating for a brief moment before leaning forwards, laying a brief, chaste kiss on the rep’s lips. Both boys blushed as Jeremy opened his eyes, stuttering his words through his sheepish grin.

“Uh... is that... is that a, erm. A yes?”

“It’s a yes.” Robin chuckled.

“Great! That’s... that’s great. Ha. Erm...” Jeremy shuffled, clearly deliberating over his next move.

“Shall we...?” Robin grinned, nodding at the trays still in their hands.

Nicole suppressed a chuckle as the group around her quickly averted their eyes, forced conversations cropping up between them as they attempted to pretend they’d not been eavesdropping. She caught Jeremy’s eye, giving him a subtle thumbs up and a grin. He looked elated, his eyes sparkling and his smile still plastered over his face. The scrape of a chair and movement beside Waverly caught Nicole’s attention, and she looked up as Rosita stood, needing to get back to work. She felt her heart leap into her throat as the brunette gave her a roguish smirk, and leaned in to Waverly’s ear.

“So, _Maestra de látigo_. What’s it going to take to get you on a date with Haught?” Rosita’s voice was a faux whisper, intentionally loud enough for Nicole to hear, and she punctuated her question with a quirk of her eyebrow, her tongue poking between the corners of her lips.

“ _Oh_ my god.” Nicole’s heart sank and she groaned, feeling the intense heat of a deep blush covering her face and her neck instantly. The way Rosita had behaved this afternoon felt like another game – one Nicole hadn’t played before, but a game nonetheless, and it was really starting to frustrate her. She didn’t _want_ Waverly to be a game. She didn’t want her to _think_ she was a game. She glanced at Waverly, surprise catching in her chest as she spotted the mirth in hazel eyes and the playful smile on her lips. 

“Well, for starters... her to _ask_ me.” Waverly grinned, the coy lilt in her voice contradicting the impish glint in her eyes.

Nicole’s heart froze in her chest and she swallowed hard. _What?_ She raised an eyebrow, smirking as she watched Waverly’s eyes flick openly to her lips, before searching her own. The brunette’s smile was confident, although something flickering behind the mischief in her eyes told the rep that Waverly was nervous. She grinned, huffing out an almost disbelieving laugh.

“ _Oh!_ Is that so?”

Nicole bit her lip, her grin growing wider as Waverly nodded. In the corner of her vision, she caught Rosita shoot a smug smirk in her direction before sauntering off with Doc along the beach. Nicole’s heart was hammering so hard against her ribs that she was surprised Waverly couldn’t hear it. She’d been so focused on the fact that her usual empty, cocksure moves hadn’t worked on Waverly; so focused on not treating her the same way that she usually treated women; so aware that Waverly was the one in control here; that it hadn’t even occurred to her that she’d not _told_ Waverly that she was interested. Hadn’t even _thought_ to ask her out. She took a deep breath, exhaling through an abashed chuckle.

“Well... then. Miss Waverly Earp, please may I take you out? On a date...?”

Nicole cursed herself for the tell-tale quiver in her voice, betraying the nerves and anticipation that somehow still pulsed through her body. She was fairly sure she had never felt quite so out of her depth, but she couldn’t deny that the butterflies swarming in her stomach felt incredible, and she was fast becoming addicted to the way Waverly Earp made her feel. She swallowed hard, every muscle in her body tensing as Waverly leaned in closer, the fire dancing behind hazel eyes sending a surge of unexpected arousal straight to Nicole’s core. She dropped her eyes to Waverly’s lips, her tongue instinctively running over her own.

“Yeah. I’d love that.” Waverly husked, grinning as she pulled away.

Nicole bit down on her lower lip as she huffed out a laugh, clenching her fists in an effort to control the heady mix of arousal and nervous excitement that coursed through her body. Waverly Earp would be the death of her, this much she was increasingly aware of. She furrowed her brows, Rosita’s words flashing suddenly in her mind. What had she said? _Maestra de látigo_?

“Erm... and also... that wasn’t a phrase I recognized. What did Rosita just call you?”

“Whip master.” Waverly quipped, beaming widely as Nicole groaned.

As the evening passed, Nicole found herself more relaxed than she’d felt in the bar for a while, enjoying the opportunity to laugh and talk with friends, not feeling the usual pressure to party and to entertain. She’d had the foresight to pack a change of clothes and was now in jeans and a t-shirt, having given Waverly her hoody. An unfamiliar warmth spread through her stomach and her chest every time she cast her eyes over the brunette wearing her clothes, looking adorable and somehow sexier than ever in the oversized sweatshirt that came midway down her thighs, sleeves rolled up over her hands. A date. Nicole shivered. God she was nervous; quite literally having never been on a date. No-one ever seemed to want, or expect, anything more than physicality from Nicole, and the few brief relationships she had been in over the years had very much been a by-product of casual sex. Waverly was different, and the nerves almost dazed Nicole as she tried to put her plans together in her mind. But, nervous as she was, the feeling that overwhelmed her more than anything when she thought about a date with Waverly was excitement. Elation. She was a goner, and she knew it.

As the evening grew late and the group began to bid their goodnights, Waverly approached Nicole slowly, fiery eyes fixed on mocha as she closed the space between them, resting her hands gently on the top of the redhead’s belt. Nicole couldn’t breathe, her lungs seeming to freeze along with every muscle in her body, and she would swear she could physically feel her blood pulsing through her veins. If Waverly could set her alight just by being this close to her, then she really didn’t quite know how she would cope if the brunette kissed her. Or _holy shit_ if she ever touched her. She let her eyes drop to Waverly’s lips, before forcing them back to her gaze as the brunette spoke.

“So... you’ll text me, about that date?” Waverly smirked, the tips of her fingers dipping just behind Nicole’s belt, tugging gently. “Don’t keep me waiting too long.”

Nicole huffed out a laugh and reached a hand into her back pocket, pulling out her phone. She pursed her lips, suppressing a grin, and held her index finger out to Waverly, indicating for the brunette to wait a moment. She tilted the phone away from Waverly’s eyeline as she typed, and then locked the screen, turning her gaze back to the brunette with a cheeky grin.

_Date? Thursday? Xx_

Waverly giggled as the sound of her own phone buzzed in her pocket, and she nodded in amusement as she reached to pull it out. Butterflies swam in Nicole’s stomach as she watched the brunette type, mischief in her hazel eyes and her lips curled in a satisfied smirk.

_I’ll think about it. ;) Xx_

Nicole laughed openly, shaking her head as the words flashed across her screen, and she pushed her phone back into her pocket. Her breath caught once more in her throat as Waverly leaned closer still, pressing soft lips against her cheek, her fingers lingering once again over her belt before she pulled away with a coy smile.

“Night Nicole.”

***********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Waverly exhaled slowly as the black and grey Yamaha pulled to a stop alongside the hotel entrance. She’d been nervous all day, watching the clock impatiently, barely able to sit still. She’d deliberated for hours over what to wear, wanting to dress up but knowing she ought to dress appropriately for the two-wheeled ride. She dragged her eyes slowly over Nicole’s body as the redhead dismounted, pulling her helmet from her head. The rep wore a short sleeved blue linen shirt, the neckline dropping just low enough to tease the hint of curves between the spread of the material. Dark jeans hugged tight against her toned thighs, and the effect was simple but flawless. Nicole stepped towards her, her dimples out in full force as she smiled widely, holding a helmet in her outstretched hand. If she’d had a little less self-control, Waverly might have whistled. She grinned, taking the helmet, brushing closer than necessary past Nicole as she stepped towards the bike. She felt her shoulders drop and she relaxed a little, the easy flirtation immediately setting her nerves.

Waverly wrapped her arms tight around Nicole’s waist as the bike weaved the busy streets, splaying her fingers a little wider than she needed to, scratching lightly at Nicole’s stomach over the material of her shirt. She chuckled to herself, shifting her body closer still as she felt the redhead’s muscles jump and tremble under her touch. The views around them began to shift as they rode out of the town, the road now curving around a bay that Waverly hadn’t seen before. By the time Nicole pulled the bike in to park, the sands of the beaches were replaced with rocks along the water’s edge, dotted in parts with trees. As they dismounted, Waverly watched as Nicole fumbled with the helmets, locking them onto the handlebars of the bike. She looked nervous, her fingers shaking ever so slightly, her eyes a little wider than usual, and Waverly couldn’t help but find it endearing.

Waverly felt her heart rate soar in her chest as Nicole led them up a short wooden walkway out onto the water, lined with fairy lights that were just starting to glow in the slow dying of the light. A small restaurant lay across the floating veranda at the end of the walkway, littered with palm trees and lanterns of varying sizes. The edge of the deck was dotted with hanging pod chairs, occupied with people sipping cocktails as they watched the water. The place was romantic without being too flashy, and Waverly was already finding herself falling under the spell. They seated at a table by the water’s edge, the positioning of the palm trees offering the slightly secluded feeling of privacy. They fell into easy conversation, Nicole visibly relaxing more with each turn of exchange, becoming more animated and more open as the evening progressed.

Waverly leaned forwards over the table, their empty plates cleared and their glasses almost finished. Nicole had captivated her entirely, sharing her stories of the life she’d lived, and asking all the right questions about Waverly’s own. She cast her eyes once more at the scenery around her, the warm spread of a deep, contented bliss washing over her.

“Thank you Nicole, for bringing me to another gorgeous location I would never have found on my own.” Waverly could hear the serenity in her own voice, and she hoped the sincerity of her words would reach.

“You live here long enough, you learn the hidden gems.” Nicole smiled warmly, her eyes exploring Waverly’s face. She shrugged, though the spark behind her gaze told Waverly that the compliment had landed.

“Nic, I know how you feel about your life here sometimes, but I can’t help but be really envious of you. All the experiences that you’ve had, and the stories you hold, and the freedom and the people and the discovery, it just...” Waverly sighed. “It kinda makes me feel like I’ve missed something.”

“Yeah, I get that.” Nicole nodded, a wistful smile pulling at her lips. Her voice was soft, delicate, as though she was unsure of the weight of her own words. “I’m grateful – I really am – for everything that this life has given me, but I would lying if I said I wasn’t equally as envious of you.”

“Of me? Why?” Waverly scrunched her nose, furrowing her brows.

Nicole was quiet for a moment, something pensive behind her eyes, as she searched her mind for the right words.

“You have the home and the security that I’ve longed for all my life, Waves.”

Waverly could see the same look in Nicole’s eyes that she’d seen in the courtyard, and she knew that something lay behind it that the rep needed time and space to share. It wasn’t lost on Waverly that nothing in the redhead’s words, or her expression of them seemed to carry self-pity. Never melancholic, never despondent – simply reflective. Nicole seemed to have an understanding of whatever pain she carried that Waverly couldn’t help but admire, and it was this that allowed her to sit back and wait. Nicole didn’t need her judgement or her pressure, she needed her respect and her patience. Waverly nodded, her eyes widening slightly as she considered the redhead’s words.

“Ever since my parents...” Waverly paused. She knew she felt comfortable enough in Nicole’s presence to tell that story, but the evening felt tranquil, and no peaceful scene needed that level of pain. She took a deep breath, changing tact. “Ever since I was a young girl I’ve wanted to leave. Purgatory breeds and keeps people, but I always told myself that I would be more than just a small town girl. More than just Purgatory. I spent my whole life working to build myself into someone who could make it out, but... the closer I get to the day that I could actually leave Purgatory, the more it feels like my home. Is that stupid?” Waverly shook her head, a laugh forcing its way from her chest. She could hear her own voice grow smaller, voicing her thoughts aloud for the first time.

“No.” Nicole smiled, her shoulders rising in a half shrug. “It’s easy to dream of running from the things you don’t love, but it’s not so easy to leave behind the parts you never wanted to run from.”

Waverly’s eyes widened, her breath feeling heavy in her chest. The empathy in Nicole’s eyes, and that gentle reassurance in her voice was almost spellbinding; pulling everything around her into a calm perspective with so few simple words. She nodded, unable to stop her thoughts from falling from her lips now that she’d started.

“With Wynonna back, things are finally starting to make sense again, and it doesn’t feel like _just_ Purgatory anymore. You know? But I feel like I _should_ want to leave. I’ve wanted to for so long and I feel like I should want to still. Like I should want to see the world!”

“You can see the world, and still have a home.”

The understanding in Nicole’s words felt physical, sinking through Waverly’s skin and into her bloodstream. The redhead just seemed to understand immediately, no questions asked, and Waverly found herself longing for the rep to share everything that lay beneath her surface. She wanted to know everything that Nicole was, and everything that had made her.

Waverly was pulled from her contemplation as the waiter approached, placing their bill on the table between them. Waverly fished in the pocket of her jacket and pulled out her purse, furrowing her brows as Nicole placed her hand over it, halting her.

“No, please. I want to?” Nicole’s tone inflected, the question clear in her voice, and she blushed lightly.

“Nicole, it is 2020, let me pay half!” Waverly raised her eyebrows, her voice firm. She knew she had practically instructed Nicole to ask her out, and she was certainly not about to demand the rep pay for her.

“Waverly Earp, this is the first time I have ever taken anyone on a date, please do not take this bit away from me.”

Waverly faltered, her stomach flipping at the redhead’s words. She could feel the widening of her eyes and the reddening heat over her cheeks, and she knew she must look as smitten as she felt.

Nicole grinned, her dimples popping at the waiter as she paid the bill. Waverly chuckled, shaking her head at the smug satisfaction over the redhead’s face.

“I erm... I hope you’re not ready to go home, because I actually have something else planned.” Nicole quirked her eyebrow, her usual cocky smirk plastered across her face in contrast to the bashful blush that tinted her cheeks.

As they made their way along the bay, Nicole cautiously caught Waverly’s hand as it swung, hesitating for a moment to allow her the chance to pull away. Waverly was surprised by how on edge the simple touch made her body feel, and she shivered, despite the warm evening air. She grinned, lacing her fingers through Nicole’s, offering her a cheeky smirk. They chatted aimlessly as they walked, until they slowed alongside a small boat hut along the water’s edge. The air was dark around them now, but the clear night sky cast enough light for the world to be visible. There was no sand here, much like the restaurant, and trees and rocks lined the water’s edge. Waverly’s eyes cast over a row of kayaks bobbing up and down alongside a short wooden dock, their appearance seemingly of glass. She squinted, trying to process the surroundings; the base of the kayaks appearing to shine luminescent blue as they swayed in the water.

“Are we going in these?” Waverly couldn’t hide the childlike excitement from her voice, and she pulled her hand from Nicole’s as she edged closer to the water, trying to see the source of the light clearer.

“We’re going in one, yeah.” Nicole’s voice sounded beside her, gentle amusement resonating within it.

“Is it glass? What’s the blue light?” Waverly teetered, grabbing Nicole’s arm to steady herself. She stepped back, turning to face to Nicole, her eyes wide with intrigue.

“It’s clear, I don’t know if it’s glass.” Nicole chuckled. “And the light is the water. You’ll see.”

Nicole pulled the kayak close to the dock, holding Waverly’s hand to steady her as she climbed into the boat. Waverly shuffled back, holding onto the dock as Nicole climbed in, sitting herself face on to Waverly, tangling their legs together with a self-satisfied grin.

“Aren’t you now backwards?” Waverly quirked an eyebrow, grinning at the flirtatious look on the redhead’s face.

“Eh, my view is better this way.” Nicole winked, her trademark grin still dazzling in the dim light.

Nicole picked up the paddle, beginning to glide it through the water, pulling the boat backwards. Waverly gripped her own, distracted for a moment by the muscles pulling under Nicole’s shirt, until her eyes caught the sight of the water moving around the boat. Where the oars glided through the surface, the water glowed a luminescent blue, seeming to gleam brighter as it lapped over the paddle and the edge of the boat. Waverly stared, her jaw falling slack in dumbfounded astonishment and confusion. She could feel Nicole’s eyes on her, but she couldn’t find the will to tear her gaze from the water. _What?_ Her mind swam, searching for answers, or the words to form the right questions. Her curiosity overwhelmed her, and she reached her hand over the side of the boat, hesitating for a moment, unsure as to the safety.

“It’s okay. You can touch it.”

Nicole’s voice grounded her, and she flicked her eyes to the redhead’s face for a moment, grinning widely in astonishment. Nicole nodded, and Waverly turned her eyes back to the water, dipping her hand cautiously into the surface. The ripples of color burst immediately from the darkness, cascading over her fingers, and a gleeful giggle fell from her lips at the sight.

“It’s a chemical reaction in the water that causes the plankton to glow when the water is disturbed. Incredible, huh?”

Nicole’s voice carried the same awe and passion that Waverly had heard out in the ocean, and she tore her eyes from the water, connecting once more with the rep’s dark gaze. The quiet sounds of the paddle pushing through the surface, the unbelievable stars of the Floridian night sky, and the incredible phenomenon of the water below them was creating an almost ethereal effect, and Waverly felt beyond astounded. She felt a strong surge of affection wash through her for Nicole in that moment. For who she was; for the way she’d broken down every one of Waverly’s misconceptions and reservations; for the way she seemed to know exactly which parts of her world that Waverly would fall in love with. And god did she look so damn _good_ doing it.

“Yeah.” She sighed, the meaning within her hushed reply falling far beyond the wonders of the bioluminescent plankton. “It really is.”

Waverly’s mind was still hazy, wonder and astonishment filling every corner as Nicole pulled the bike up outside the hotel. She reluctantly released her hold around the redhead’s waist, climbing down slowly and pulling the helmet from her head. She didn’t want the night to end, and she felt her heart beat faster as Nicole dismounted, removing her own helmet.

“Walk me back?” She grinned, the butterflies feeling as though they fluttered in every part of her body as Nicole nodded, linking her fingers once more in her own.

Nerves overwhelmed Waverly, her stomach somersaulting itself into knots at the feeling of Nicole’s thumb stroking lightly over the back of her own as they headed along the palm lined walkway leading up to the front of the hotel. Waverly hesitated, faltering in her step and pulling Nicole to a stop, halfway down the walkway. She knew that when they reached the foyer there would be staff, and intoxicated guests milling about, and she wanted to hold on to just one more moment alone with Nicole.

“You okay?” Nicole’s voice was low, concern washing through her warm eyes as she turned to face Waverly.

“Yeah, I just...”

Waverly dropped her eyes to Nicole’s lips, and took a tentative step forward. She felt her own breath hitch as she heard the redhead inhale sharply, and she flicked her eyes up to meet Nicole’s gaze. The anticipation and the fire in dark mocha eyes, so close now to her own, flipped in Waverly’s stomach and she clenched her thighs in an effort to ground herself. Keeping her eyes fixed on Nicole’s, she took another step closer, sliding her hand over the back of the redhead’s neck and pulling her down, close enough to feel the unsteady breaths hit her lips. She searched the heat of Nicole’s eyes for a brief moment, watching for signs of hesitation, before she closed the gap between them and kissed her softly. Nicole’s lips felt incredible; soft but firm against her own, something powerful in the undemanding kiss that pushed the air straight out of her lungs. Waverly pulled back, her eyes flickering open, her heart pounding in her chest. She’d only intended for a brief goodnight kiss, but the sight of Nicole - eyes still closed, lips parted slightly, heated flush over her cheeks - connected straight to her core and she tangled her fingers in tousled red hair, pulling the rep back into a deeper kiss. Something seemed to snap in Nicole’s composure, her hands finding their way to Waverly’s hips, firm fingers pulling them flush against her own. Waverly couldn’t stop the quiet moan that fell from her lips, the sound muffled as Nicole slipped her tongue into her mouth. The searing heat of the kiss sent waves of arousal straight to Waverly’s centre, and she tugged lightly in Nicole’s hair, eliciting a groan from the redhead that vibrated through the brunette’s mouth and straight down to her clit. Nicole’s fingers edged higher, wrapping around Waverly’s waist beneath her shirt, raising goosebumps across her entire body. Every movement of Nicole’s lips, her tongue, her fingers, seemed to trickle through Waverly’s body, molten lava pooling between her thighs. She pulled back breathlessly, digging her nails lightly into Nicole’s neck as she did so.

“Come up with me?” Waverly’s voice was hoarse, her desire ringing clear through every word.

Waverly’s heart dropped, sinking through her stomach as she watched the flicker of hesitation cross through Nicole’s eyes. She felt the redhead stiffen, her hands dropping back down to Waverly’s hips, though she didn’t remove them. Waverly pulled back, embarrassment flooding her every thought as she let her flustered words spill.

“Shit, I’m sorry. You don’t have to, I shouldn’t have assumed, I...”

“No!” Nicole cut her off, the hoarse arousal in her own voice reassuring Waverly a little as she continued. “God, I want to. _Fuck_ Waverly, of course I want to. But I just... you’re _more_ than... I just want to get this right.”

Nicole fumbled over her words, her eyes pleading. Waverly exhaled slowly, the tension draining from her body as she understood what Nicole was trying to tell her. She let her hand settle gently back against Nicole’s chest as the rep continued.

“I want to get this right Wave, because you’re...” Nicole trailed off, her eyes searching Waverly’s face, dropping down over her body as she searched for the words she needed. She raised an eyebrow, a shy chuckle falling from her lips as the words seemed to fail her. “I like you.”

Waverly bit her lip, closing her eyes for a moment as she let the words sink in. Honestly, the confession had only made her want Nicole more, and she felt almost giddy under the effect of the words. She opened her eyes, connecting them once more with Nicole’s as the redhead spoke.

“I’m sorry, if I...”

Waverly shook her head, leaning forward to kiss Nicole again softly. She broke away, twisting her hands in the sides of Nicole’s shirt, keeping her body pulled against her.

“Everything about tonight was _exactly_ the way to do this right. Including saying that.” Waverly grinned, pulling Nicole into a final searing kiss, biting down on her lower lip and smirking at the redhead’s shiver as she pulled away. “And I like you too. Night, Nic.”

Waverly wrapped her arms around herself as she turned to walk away, her knees threatening to buckle under the heady mix of excitement, arousal, and elation that filled every muscle. She glanced back as she reached the foyer, chuckling as she found Nicole still stood watching, an awestruck, lopsided grin plastered across her face. Waverly grinned and shook her head, offering a little wave as she stepped into the building. She felt like she was on a high, practically floating up the stairs to her room. Nicole Haught had well and truly worked her magic, and Waverly was hooked.


	6. Paradise Pained

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and commenting so far - makes my day to get the emails telling me you're leaving me feedback!
> 
> Slight trigger warnings in the notes at the bottom for this one. Please read them if you have any triggers - all are past references, and none are explicit.

Nicole scanned the group of new arrivals sat across the terrace in front of her, mentally checking off her name predictions. She was more distracted than usual this morning, the early start brutal after the long hours she’d laid awake the night before, thoughts of Waverly keeping her mind and her pulse racing. The way the brunette’s lips had felt claiming her own had been intoxicating, and Nicole was already certain that there was no way she could ever kiss Waverly Earp enough. She blinked heavily, shaking the memories from her mind as best she could as she started her usual rehearsed spiel, welcoming the guests to the Casa Marina.

Movement in her peripheral vision pulled Nicole’s focus to the steps leading up to the poolside bar, and she stumbled on her words, trailing off as she took in the sight before her. Waverly’s hips swayed naturally as she climbed the steps and she flicked her hair over her shoulder, smirking knowingly as she met Nicole’s gaze. The two piece swimsuit was not one that Nicole had seen her in before, and she felt her mouth run dry as she trailed her gaze over the brunette’s body. The black material dropped low over the curves of Waverly’s chest, and cut high over her hips, thick bands of material criss-crossing over her torso. The tan lines in that thing were going to be interesting, but... _fuck_. Nicole ran her tongue between her lips, trying desperately to regain some of the moisture in her mouth.

The sound of Jeremy chuckling beside her pulled her back, and she blushed as she realized she’d stopped talking mid-sentence, her eyes wide and her jaw slack. She cleared her throat, blinking rapidly as she tried to force her brain to focus on the guests and the meeting. Her guests started to fire their questions across the terrace, and she fought hard against her instincts, but her eyes pulled like magnets as Waverly made her way back towards the pool, setting her drinks down beside the lounger closest to the line of Nicole’s sight. The glint in the brunette’s eyes, and the way she moved her body so deliberately told Nicole that she’d known exactly the impact she would have on the rep, and somehow that made every movement even hotter; _more_ distracting. Jeremy jumped to his friend’s aid, taking the lead of the meeting seamlessly as the redhead struggled to keep her attention on the new arrivals. She practically growled, immediately rushing to cover the sound with a cough as Waverly began to apply her sun lotion, her fingers moving slowly and deliberately over her body. The sheen the oil left behind flickered in the sun, highlighting the curves of Waverly’s body, and Nicole could feel goosebumps rising over her skin as she allowed her eyes to linger. The brunette didn’t make eye contact, and Nicole wondered for a minute whether perhaps she was unaware of the impact she was having on her heart rate and the pulse between her thighs, until she finally laid her towel out, throwing a dirty smirk in the rep’s direction before laying down on the lounger. Nicole clenched her thighs, gritting her teeth as she suppressed a groan. Christ, she was a cliché; practically drooling, her muscles trembling the second Waverly pushed the slightest button _._ She shook her head, chuckling silently.

The meeting felt like an eternity, and Nicole could feel herself growing more restless, fighting hard against the urge to rush it through; professionalism be damned. When she finally brought the questions to a close, she all but sprinted in her effort to break away and get to Waverly. She froze, clenching and unclenching her fists, desperately trying to conceal her restless agitation as one particularly persistent guest caught her on her way past. She felt her stomach drop as she watched Waverly stand, throwing a chiffon cover up over her shoulders. _Where was she going?_ Nicole forced her gaze to the guest in front of her, managing a polite smile and an invite to the evening’s welcome bonfire before she finally succeeded in extracting herself. She hurried down the stairs as Waverly caught her eyes, winking and beckoning with her head for Nicole to follow as she turned and headed towards the hotel. Nicole grinned, stumbling over her own feet as she scurried to catch up with the brunette, eventually finding her leaning back against the wall in the hotel lobby. She felt her mouth grow dry once again as her eyes roamed Waverly’s body, the image _so_ much sexier up close where she could see the flex of her muscles and the sheen of the oil over her skin through the spread at the front of the chiffon cover up.

“That was _very_ cruel.” Nicole took a careful step towards the brunette, smirking as she heard the tell-tale husk in her own voice.

Waverly hummed in response, her hands twisting in the hem of Nicole’s shirt, pulling her in close. Nicole leaned in instinctively, then froze as she caught herself. She pulled back briefly to search the area around them. She was overly aware that she was in her uniform, and that she’d likely already exceeded any acceptable level of unprofessional behavior for one morning. She smirked, grabbing hold of Waverly’s hand and pulling her down the hall, into the small library-style room that held the tourist information. She kicked the door closed behind them, pulling Waverly flush against her body, wrapping her arms around her waist. Nicole grinned, the brunette’s responding smile sending butterflies through her stomach, before finally connecting their lips in the kiss she’d been craving all morning.

“Come on another date with me? Tomorrow?” Nicole’s voice was a little breathless as she pulled back, and she blushed as Waverly raised an eyebrow with a smug smirk.

“ _Oh_?” Waverly grinned, sliding her fingers under the back of Nicole’s shirt, raising goosebumps as she pressed the tips gently over the redhead’s skin. “That almost sounds like we’re dating.”

“Well you think yourself lucky, I’m an expert in dating now, I have so many ideas.” Nicole teased, her grin widening as she leaned in, brushing her forehead lightly against Waverly’s.

“ _Well_ when you put it _that_ way.” Waverly husked, smirking as she brushed her lips against Nicole’s, before closing the gap completely.

The kiss was slow, and deep, and the touch burned instantly in every part of Nicole’s body. She stepped forwards, pushing Waverly back until her knees buckled over the desk to the side of the room, leaflets sliding across the table beneath the brunette’s body as she pushed herself up onto it. Nicole trailed her fingers over Waverly’s thighs, pulling her legs around her waist. The brunette’s responding low moan vibrated through their kiss, and the air thickened instantly around them, the kiss growing more heated. The flimsy fabric of Nicole’s track shorts, and the limited material of Waverly’s bikini allowed the rep to feel every curve of the brunette’s body, and the firm roll of her hips as the rep bit down on her lower lip pulsed hard between Nicole’s thighs. She pushed her hips harder into Waverly’s body, almost choking on her own groan as the door burst open behind them, and the tangled figures of Jeremy and Robin stumbled into the room, lips locked in a kiss. Nicole stepped back as Waverly scrambled to untangle herself, both fighting their giggles as the redhead cleared her throat.

Nicole bit her lip, fighting hard against her laughter as Jeremy jumped apart from Robin, spinning to face her, stuttering out his awkward apologies. She grinned, her amusement getting the better of her as Robin blushed and Jeremy’s eyes widened, the realization dawning across both of their faces that they weren’t the only people in the room to have been caught. She cleared her throat, making an intentionally exaggerated show of straightening her shirt.

“Pool games now yes, Chetri? You weren’t here if we weren’t here.” Nicole winked, then grinned as she grabbed hold of Waverly’s hand and led her past the boys towards the door.

**********************************************************************************

Nicole chuckled at the butterflies that leapt to action immediately in her stomach as Waverly’s arms squeezed gently around her waist, the brunette’s thighs clinging tightly to her hips as the bike tilted around a particularly sharp corner. She’d carried passengers on her bike many a time, several of whom had gotten more than a little handsy, but it had never turned her on the way that every subtle movement of Waverly Earp’s fingers did. The way she dragged her nails over Nicole’s thighs; the way she trailed her fingertips over her waistband, dancing underneath the hem of her shirt; and the way she pressed lightly over her abdomen, occasionally slipping just below the material between her buttons; it was all sending frequent, intense waves of arousal through the redhead’s body, and the growing pressure between her legs was almost painful. Nicole pressed her legs firmly against the sides of the bike, willing her body to maintain its composure. She wanted so badly to hold off, and to take her time getting to know Waverly before she gave in to her urges, but the brunette was pushing her buttons hard, and the fact that she seemed only too aware of it only made the urges stronger. Nicole pulled the bike in to park and took a deep breath, clenching her fingers around the handlebars in an effort to expel some of the tense energy that Waverly’s touch had built up in her muscles.

She grinned, shaking her head as the brunette practically bounced from the bike, shoving her helmet unceremoniously into Nicole’s hands in her excitement to explore the new surroundings. Waverly’s enthusiasm and curiosity for everything new never failed to make Nicole smile, and she felt the prickle of nerves rush through her as she thought about the plan for the day, hoping that she was right to think the brunette would enjoy it. The street was lively, market stalls scattered along the center sending the slightly queasy smells of fish and cheeses wafting through the air. There were no cars on the street, and trees lined either side, casting patches of shade over the red dust cobblestone. The buildings around all appeared to be boutiques, antique shops, and tiny museums. Nicole smiled widely as Waverly slipped her fingers between her own, the touch holding them together even as the brunette’s inquisitive eyes wandered everywhere but to the redhead.

Nicole felt a wave of affection wash through her, watching Waverly’s face light up in a wide beam as they entered the History and Discovery Museum, and she squeezed the rep’s hand gently. Nicole had been to the museum countless times over the years, but she felt the curiosity anew just watching Waverly’s face as they passed through the interactive exhibits. The brunette was being particularly tactile, soft touches keeping her grounded to Nicole even as her attention was focused elsewhere, and the impact was making the redhead feel all kinds of things she wasn’t sure how to label. Appreciated? Wanted? Each touch a reminder that Waverly was choosing to be here _with her_. Some of the touches were innocent; a hand across her shoulder or the small of her back; or a thumb stroking lightly over the back of a linked hand. Others were _not_. Nicole felt almost uncomfortable warmth spread through her as Waverly wrapped her arm around her waist, and let her hand fall along the back of her thigh, dragging her fingers lightly up towards her ass. The movement was torturously slow, and Nicole could feel her muscles tremble in anticipation and arousal, before the brunette pulled away just as she reached the top of the redhead’s thigh. Nicole shivered, grinning to herself as she watched Waverly study the exhibit before them. She _looked_ so innocent, her face lit up with curious wonder at all of the exhibits, but those roaming hands were so precise in their actions that Nicole knew full well they couldn’t be anything _but_ intent to tease.

Waverly’s eyes lit up, her fingers tracing along the plaques of information as they reached an exhibition dedicated to the life and works of Ernest Hemingway. Nicole stepped up close behind her, slipping her arms around the brunette’s waist and planting a soft kiss on her shoulder. She felt the butterflies launch in her stomach, and her lips curled automatically into a smile as Waverly wrapped her hands over Nicole’s arms, holding her close as she leaned back into her.

“So, are you an Ernie lover or a hater?” 

Waverly tilted her head to look up at Nicole as she spoke, and the redhead fought back the urge to kiss her. She scrunched her nose, pondering the question for a moment.

“I _tried_ to like him, but I can’t help but feel like he’s not as timeless as he’s given credit for. His work always seems to insist bravery and physical prowess are the highest form of accomplishment, and disregard any others.” Nicole shrugged. “Always just kinda feels a bit macho-man. Don’t we call that shit _toxic masculinity_ these days?”

She grinned as Waverly raised her eyebrows, her lips pursed as she contemplated Nicole’s response. Nicole was fast beginning to think there was nothing more beautiful than Waverly Earp’s brain ticking over behind her hazel eyes.

“I don’t disagree, actually.” Waverly smiled softly, turning her gaze back to the exhibition. “But I think even so, you can still see the beauty in the knowledge that he lived his life by adventure. It's so easy to sit in the same old battered armchair all of your days, living the wonders of the world through the pictures that words can paint. This was a man who lived things. Saw things, knew things. That inspires me, whether or not his writing ever did.”

Nicole exhaled slowly. _Everything_ Waverly said just seemed to make her more endearing; more intelligent; more attractive, and Nicole was finding it very difficult to resist the urge to kiss her. She _wanted_ to use the time to get to know the brunette, and that would be a little difficult if she couldn’t keep her hands or her lips to herself, so she _really_ needed to get her shit together.

The final display was one on the First People of Florida, and Nicole couldn’t help but laugh as Waverly almost skipped over to the cabinets, leaning close to the glass to peer inside. She stepped up alongside the brunette, casting her eyes over the plaques and the artifacts that lay behind the glass. Feeling Waverly sigh heavily beside her, Nicole was reminded of the things the brunette had told her about the early Floridians and their beliefs in three human souls.

“I will never understand how we managed to reduce these people to a glass box in a dusty museum; inconveniences in the history books of white men.” Nicole kept her voice low, instinctively in keeping with Waverly’s hushed demeanor.

“I always feel so ignorant, living in my little Purgatory bubble, where everything is whitewashed and we get to play the hero in all the history books.” Waverly’s voice was contemplative; something almost dreamlike in the yearning way that her words carried. “When I see the world, I wish that I could walk in the shoes of those who knew the lands before I did. I always feel this empty sorrow when I think about the fact that I can never truly wash the taint of my own experiences from my eyes before I see things.”

Nicole studied Waverly’s face as she spoke. There was a genuine awe and regret in the brunette’s eyes that seemed to negate any self-indulgence, and Nicole found her breath catching in her throat.

“Your mind is incredible.” She exhaled as she spoke, knowing full well that if Waverly turned to face her, her eyes would betray just how smitten she felt in that moment.

“Really? I’m not boring you?” Waverly’s eyes widened slightly as she turned her gaze to Nicole’s, the surprise melting into a blush across her cheeks as she took in the captivated look in the redhead’s eyes.

“Quite the contrary.” Nicole grinned, wrapping her arms around Waverly’s waist and pulling her closer. “I find your mind... _really_ sexy, in fact.”

“Oh _really_?” Waverly’s laugh reached her eyes, narrowing into a smirk as she twisted her hands in the back of Nicole’s shirt. “So this little trip is in fact all a rather perverse ruse, is it Haught?”

Nicole leaned forward slowly, pulling Waverly close in an effort to connect their lips. Waverly grinned, pressing her finger to the redhead’s lips, halting her.

“Nuh-uh, not in front of The First People!”

Nicole laughed, placing a kiss on the tip of Waverly’s finger, eliciting a hum and a soft smile from the brunette.

"So... we could ride a little further into town for some dinner if you want? Or I have stuff in to cook if you don't mind a balcony dinner at my place?" Nicole heard the slight waver in her voice towards the end of her sentence, nerves hitting her hard as she realized she was asking Waverly back to her home for the first time.

Waverly smirked and raised her eyebrows, leaning a little closer to Nicole’s ear as she spoke, her voice intentionally low.

"Let's see your cooking skills, Haught-stuff."

**********************************************************************************

“That was _unbelievable_ , Haught! Is there no end to your surprises?”

Nicole grinned as she watched Waverly take her last mouthful, resting her knife and fork on the side of her plate. The glow of the sunset over the ocean, visible from the balcony, seemed to bask Waverly in some kind of divine light, and Nicole was finding herself really struggling to control her desire for the brunette. She was overly conscious of the fact that she wanted this to be more than sex, and that only made her feel more uncertain as to how to handle how fucking badly she _wanted_ Waverly. She let her gaze trace the brunette’s lips; the crinkles by her eyes when she smiled; the way the hazel-green colors seemed to change with her mood. She allowed her mind to fill with the memories of how it felt to kiss her; and _that_ roll of her hips on the desk in the Casa Marina; her fingers under her shirt, and over her thighs; how their bodies had slotted so well together. She ran her tongue instinctively between her lips, watching as Waverly’s eyes darkened, telling her the brunette could see _exactly_ where her mind had gone. The air felt suddenly thicker, and Nicole could feel her chest rise and fall heavier as the brunette’s heated gaze seemed to pierce through her.

“I’m gonna...” Nicole cleared her throat, the deep husk causing a blush to spread across her cheeks, and a smirk to cross Waverly’s face. “I’m gonna clear these plates, do you wanna head inside and get comfortable on the couch?”

Nicole closed her eyes for a moment, fighting to compose herself as she placed the plates in the sink. She _needed_ this to be on Waverly’s terms; needed the brunette to make the first move, but she couldn’t help but suspect that she would be teased into oblivion before that happened. She chuckled. That was a game she _could_ play. She turned towards the open plan living space, grinning as she watched Waverly look around the room, her fingers running softly over the things she found. Always so inquisitive. She froze, her blood running cold through her veins and her heart dropping through her stomach as she watched Waverly’s fingers brush over the papers lying on the small side table next to the sofa. The police academy application forms. _Shit._ This really _wasn’t_ where she was hoping this evening was going.

“Ontario Police College? Are you applying? _Jesus_ , how _old_ is this form, Nic?” Waverly’s brows furrowed in confusion as she rifled through the papers, turning to look at Nicole when she was met with silence.

Nicole couldn’t move. Her chest felt heavy - too heavy; her shallow breaths feeling insufficient to ease the ache in her lungs. Her mind clouded, and she clenched her fists, willing the excuses to form on her lips.

“It’s uh... it’s nothing, really. Just some old junk I have lying around from my old school days. Scrap paper.”

She cursed herself, hearing the undisguised strain of panic in her own voice. She closed her eyes for a moment, focusing hard to even out her breathing. When she opened them again, Waverly’s eyes searched her own, the soft recognition of Nicole’s pain clear behind the hazel glimmer.

“Nicole this apartment is spotless, and this is a specifically kept pile of four different police academy application forms.”

There was something so unassuming in Waverly’s voice, and something in her eyes so empathetic; void of expectation or pity, that it brought the heavy sting of tears to the back of Nicole’s eyes. For the first time in years, she found that the tears threatened to fall.

“You don’t have to tell me anything Nic, but I just...”

Waverly trailed off and Nicole nodded, the brunette’s calm tone easing the hold of panic in her chest. She understood the unspoken words in Waverly’s unfinished sentence. She might not have known the brunette long, but she wanted to _know_ her; understand her; be there for her. So it made perfect sense that Waverly would feel the same way. She took a deep breath. She wasn’t entirely sure where to start, the words having not left her lips in a _really_ long time.

“It’s er... it’s the reason I’m here.” Nicole heard the tremor her in voice, her whole body feeling weaker as she let the memories flood into her mind. She took a shaky step towards the couch, lowering herself onto it beside Waverly.

“In Florida?” Waverly’s voice was steady, calming, and she kept her eyes on Nicole’s face, searching for her reactions.

“Yeah... well. It’s... the reason I ran.” Nicole took a deep breath. The words were jumbled in her mind, pushed to the back for so long. “From Toronto.”

“You came to be a cop?” Waverly’s tone was inquisitive without being intrusive, and Nicole appreciated the gentle push to help her unscramble the chaos in her mind.

“I... not exactly.”

Waverly’s hand reached forward, resting on Nicole’s knee, her fingers stroking lightly. The touch grounded Nicole, an anchor finally allowing the right words to flow to her mind. She chose them carefully, picking out the threads that seemed the easiest to untangle. She lay her own hand over the top, trailing her fingers over the knuckles. Keeping her eyes on their hands, she allowed the words to spill from her lips.

“When I was a kid, my parents used a lot of recreational drugs. And they sold them, on a small scale. Amongst their friends. When they were under the influence, they used to get pretty angry and the fights were always so erratic and unpredictable. Usually with each other. They pretty much just ignored me, but I did get caught in the crossfire a lot. Most days they just left me to my own devices. I learned to cook my own meals pretty young. And to tie my own plait.” Nicole lifted her eyes to Waverly’s, a soft chuckle leaving her lips. Waverly’s lips curled up in a responding subtle smile, and the gesture eased the knot in Nicole’s chest just a little more.

“When I was nine, they took me on this ridiculous road trip. We drove for _days_ , the car smoked up with weed the whole time. It smelled _so_ bad, and I felt so weird. I was _nine_!” Nicole scrunched her face up, the anger and the disgust that she’d suppressed for so long seeping its way back into her veins. “We drove all this way, and it seemed like it was all just to go to this party in the woods. It was _so_ far from home, in some tiny town I’d never seen. They called it a _festival_. It was just a bunch of my parents’ friends sitting around in tents, taking drugs, having sex and fighting. I was the only kid.”

Nicole felt Waverly tense beside her, and though she didn’t say anything, the protective flash of fire behind her eyes was clear. Something in the brunette’s emotive response felt empowering to Nicole. That someone else would see this the way she did.

“There was a police raid on it. My parents and their friends, they fought back, and there was so much noise. I was so scared, but I remember this one cop. He took me to safety, he put his hat on my head, and he let me hold his badge.” Nicole’s voice softened, her anger ebbing slightly as she tried to recall the face of the man who had started her dreams. The memory was hazy, but she would never forget the kind eyes, or the bushy eyebrows and the moustache. She smiled. “He called me a _hero_.”

Waverly’s smile reached her eyes, the misty sparkle in them causing Nicole’s chest to flutter. She lifted the brunette’s hand to her lips, placing a kiss on the back of it before she continued.

“Despite everything, in that moment I felt invincible. Like no matter what happened, I could be safe. I wanted to be the hero he said I was. I guess I grew up then wanting to feel that way again. Somewhere along the way I think I understood that actually, I wanted to make someone else feel that way. Safe, protected. Invincible.”

“What’s stopped you?” Waverly shuffled on the couch, turning to face Nicole, linking their fingers together.

Nicole sighed heavily. This was the part she never had managed to repress. This was the part that haunted her mind every time she read the words on those _damn_ application forms.

“When I was 18 and graduating, my Mum found the police academy application forms. She was _so_ furious. God. She ripped them to shreds, starting grabbing all my things and shoving them into bags. First she told me no police force would want me anyway, the _damaged goods_ _of criminals_. Then she called me a traitor. Brainwashed. Sick. A narc. Said there was no room for people like me under her roof.” The heated anger that flared in Nicole’s chest, reflecting back at her in Waverly’s eyes, died out almost instantly as she trailed off. She sighed.

“Honestly, I didn’t even fight. I stayed with a friend for a couple of months, and in barely any time at all I was here. It’s why I stay. This life, it’s getting old to me now.” She laughed, raising an eyebrow as she corrected herself. “Or _I’m_ getting old for _it_. But I don’t know what to do without it. It’s the closest thing to a home I’ve got. The police dream has never left me, Waves. But every time I look at those damn forms, all I can see is the spite and the anger on my Mum’s face, and all I can hear is the words she said to me.”

Nicole’s eyes heated as they filled with tears, and she felt the first of them trickle down her cheek. Not for her past; she’d long since learned not to live there. But for the uncertainty that she felt now, and the things that she yearned for that she didn’t know how to chase.

“Wave, I want to leave all this behind me. I want to go _home_. I just don’t really know where that is. Florida has been my sanctuary for nine years, and I’ve felt safe, miles away from everything that ever hurt me. Protected somehow, under the sun. With everything that this life has done for me, it just feels kind of... _ungrateful_ of me to feel bored by it. But still, I miss the seasons. You know?”

She sniffed, unable to stop the half laugh that forced its way from her chest. She hadn’t let the tears fall in years, and all it had taken to break the dam was the undemanding compassion of soft hazel eyes, and now she couldn’t stop them.

“There is nothing ungrateful about accepting the impact something has had on your life, but knowing that it’s time to move on.” Waverly spoke softly, running her fingers over Nicole’s back, up into the hairs at the nape of her neck. “Some things aren’t meant for forever, and you’re in a place in your life now where you can chase your dreams. Your _real_ dreams.”

Nicole reached her arm out, pulling Waverly closer and planting a lingering kiss on her forehead. She hadn’t meant to get so emotional, but Waverly made her feel safer than she had in a long time – perhaps ever – and she felt an intense surge of gratitude, admiration, and affection for the brunette that she wasn’t sure how to express. She smiled as Waverly raised both hands to her cheeks, swiping her thumbs across the last of the falling tears before pulling her into a sincere kiss.

“You’d make an _incredible_ cop, Nicole.” Waverly ran her fingers over Nicole’s lips as she spoke, before kissing her softly again.

“Stay with me tonight?”

The words were out of Nicole’s mouth before she processed the implications, and she blushed as Waverly quirked an eyebrow with a cheeky grin.

“I mean I don’t... I’m not...” Nicole gestured her fingers around her face with a chuckle. “It’s not the night for _that_. But I can promise you the best cuddles you’ll ever have?” She wriggled her eyebrows, feeling her grin grow wider as Waverly giggled.

Nicole’s body felt lighter somehow as she lay in her bed, Waverly curled up against her side, the brunette’s head resting on the rep’s chest. The conversation had flowed late into the night, and the silence now felt comfortable. Nicole smiled, her body humming in content as Waverly’s fingers drew intricate patterns over her skin beneath her t shirt.

“Nicole?” Waverly’s shaky voice broke through the quiet.

“Hmmm?” Nicole placed a kiss on the top of Waverly’s head, her fingers trailing over the back of her shoulders and her neck.

“I was three when Mama left. And I was six when Daddy died. He drank himself to death, basically.”

Waverly’s voice was slightly muffled against Nicole’s chest, but the words were clear and the brittle tone carried. Nicole stilled, her muscles tensing as if readying themselves to absorb the brunette’s pain in any way they could.

“I was young. Impressionable, easily placated. My aunt and uncle took me in and they raised me, but Wynonna... she was older. It affected her, she acted out. She moved from foster home to foster home for so many years, until she finally ran.”

Nicole exhaled slowly, her fingers resuming their trails over Waverly’s skin. She’d known that Wynonna carried pain; seen it in the older Earp’s eyes and the façade that she wore. But it hadn’t occurred to her that the pain would be linked to Waverly’s own, and she wanted nothing more than to take it away for her. She buried her face in the top of Waverly’s head, holding her close as she continued to speak.

“She was all I had left, and I got to have a home, and she didn’t. I spent years trying to make everyone around me love me. I thought that if they could love _me_ , then I could make them love Wynonna, and then maybe she could come home.”

Nicole swallowed hard. Trying to _make_ them love her? Nicole couldn’t see how anyone could not love this fiery ball of passion, and kindness, and intelligence, and everything that makes a person good. Her own chest filled with the heavy ache of heartbreak as she pictured the two young Earp sisters, facing the same, yet very different battles.

“But the thing is...” Waverly’s voice seemed to grow steadier as she spoke, and Nicole could sense the power of someone who had spent a lot of time analyzing her own emotions; her own pain; her own strength and her own limitations. “No-one can really love you if they don’t see who you really are. People chose not to really see Wynonna, and I chose for them not to really see me.”

Waverly pulled her head back, turning to look the redhead in the eyes. Nicole had expected to see pain, or strength, or resolution. What she wasn’t expecting was the compassion and the solidarity as hazel eyes bore into her own.

“The home and the security that I have now don’t come from a secure childhood, Nic. They’re in the ones who do choose to see me. It’s never too late for you to find that.”

Nicole’s heart hammered in her chest, and her breath caught with something she couldn’t put her finger on. She searched the brunette’s eyes for a moment longer, as if she would find the words she wanted to say in the hazel-green gaze. She surged forward, pulling Waverly into a passionate kiss, trying to spill the words she couldn’t find into the movement of her lips. She kissed Waverly with everything she had, her hands gripping tight over her back and in her hair, the brunette returning every movement with reciprocated hunger. Nicole couldn’t have said how long she kissed Waverly for, before the kisses grew slower, softer; and the fingers running over skin grew lazier and lighter, until eventually they stopped, sleep pulling them both under.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings - all in reference to past, and none are explicit or particularly detailed.  
> \- Drug use  
> \- Childhood trauma/neglect


	7. Paradise Smoking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two updates in a week, because it's lockdown, and I'm furloughed, and what else am I doing? =p
> 
> Please keep leaving your feedback, it's getting me through this weird time ;)
> 
> You're all amazing.

Waverly stirred, her closed eyes squinting against the morning sun seeping through the cracks in the curtains. Even in her sleep-heavy daze, she was acutely aware of the warm body pressed against her back, one arm draped around her waist, and the steady breaths that tickled the back of her neck. The borrowed t-shirt she’d slept in had risen high, the material gathered just below the curve of her breasts, and Nicole’s fingers drew slow, sleepy circles over her bare stomach. She shivered, registering the goosebumps that prickled over her body. Her skin felt sensitive to every light touch, and she wondered how long the redhead’s fingers had been working their sleep-hazed magic. She turned her head slightly, scanning Nicole’s face for signs that the rep was awake. Waverly smiled, warmth spreading through her chest as Nicole stirred enough to press a soft kiss onto the back of her neck, but didn’t open her eyes. The touch of the redhead’s fingers was feather-light as they continued to explore Waverly’s skin, running down her stomach to trail along her waistband; over the curve of her hip; down the front of her thigh. Waverly closed her eyes, biting down on her lip as she felt her body reacting to the touch, her chest rising heavier, the heat between her thighs growing stronger. Nicole’s fingers retraced their path over her thigh, running torturously slowly up over her side until they reached the barrier of the bunched up shirt, moving instead across the brunette’s chest, lightly skimming the curve of her breasts. One finger dipped dangerously below the shirt, running between Waverly’s breasts, before it dropped back down and a splayed hand ran firmer over her abs, pulling her close as Nicole’s hips pushed lightly into her ass. The touch was driving Waverly crazy; her breathing growing shaky, her nipples straining against the material of the t shirt, and the throb between her thighs almost painful. _Fuck._ If Nicole could work her into this state in her sleep, then Waverly was almost afraid of what she could do when she _tried_.

She felt Nicole’s touch become firmer, and her breathing become less steady as she started to stir. Unable to hold herself back any longer, Waverly turned in Nicole’s arms, connecting their lips in a kiss and pressing herself firmly against the rep’s body. Almost instinctively, her hand found its purchase under Nicole’s shirt, pulling her fingertips over the dip before her ass, encouraging her to press her hips firmer against her. Waverly’s clit pulsed hard as Nicole groaned into the kiss, deepening it as she pushed her hips forward, grabbing Waverly’s hands as she rolled her over onto her back. There was something inexplicably sexy to Waverly about the fact that the redhead still hadn’t opened her eyes; something that felt almost animalistic about the fact that it was desire alone that was pulling Nicole from her sleep. Desire for _her._ Nicole’s weight was pinned flush against Waverly’s body, holding their linked hands above their heads. Waverly moaned, arching her back upwards into Nicole as the redhead pressed her thigh firmly between her legs. The kiss was so deep that Waverly wasn’t sure she could remember how to breathe, until Nicole’s lips moved to her jawline and over her neck, and suddenly the breaths fell quickly; harder; shakier. Nicole rolled her hips, the rock of her thigh hitting just right against Waverly’s clit and the brunette moaned, straining against the hands that pinned her own down. Nicole pushed back, the effort to hold the restraint causing her hips to grind down again, and Waverly couldn’t stop the whimper that fell from her lips, her own hips bucking upwards in an effort to increase the friction that had her almost delirious.

The heavy hammering on the apartment door barely registered, both women too lost in the thick cloud of arousal and the remaining traces of sleep to acknowledge the interruption, until Jeremy’s muffled voice carried through the doorways.

“Nicole?” The knocking was louder now, and Jeremy’s voice was frantic with both frustration and concern. “Dude, are you ready? I’ve been waiting downstairs for like ten minutes.”

Nicole’s eyes flew open for the first time, and Waverly exhaled heavily at how dark they looked beneath the traces of confusion and panic that were rapidly spreading through them.

“Shit, what time is it?” Nicole’s voice was low, the early morning hoarseness made thicker with her arousal. She released Waverly’s hands, straddling her thigh in her effort to sit up enough to see the clock.

“ _Fuck._ Wave I’m so sorry!” Nicole jumped up, scrambling for her clothes, her panicked voice still carrying traces of the husk that had filled it before. “I have to work, I’m supposed to be at the airport for a pick-up in less than thirty minutes.”

She cupped her hand to her mouth, calling louder towards the door as the hammering continued.

“Sorry Jer, just a minute!”

Nicole stood in the middle of her room, running her hand through her hair as she took stock of her situation, and what she needed to do. She hesitated for a moment, her eyes flicking back to Waverly, her lips curling into a disbelieving grin. She rushed back to the bed, leaning down to kiss the brunette hotly once more before returning to her frantic scramble. Waverly chuckled, shifting herself up to lean back against the pillows. She knew she ought to move and get her own clothes on, but she needed a minute to calm her racing pulse and the deep ache between her thighs, and she wasn’t sure her knees could take standing just yet.

Nicole pulled her shirt off over her head, and Waverly’s breath caught in her throat, her eyes widening as she tried desperately not to let her gaze wander. Presumably, in her hurried and slightly sleep addled state, the redhead was not consciously aware of her actions or their impact, and Waverly smirked, quirking an eyebrow as she watched the blush spread across Nicole’s cheeks once she registered what she’d done. Nicole pointed her fingers to her own eyes, then at Waverly, grinning as she grabbed her clothes, holding them to her chest as she backed into the bathroom. _I’m watching you._ Waverly laughed, holding her hands up in mock defense, throwing a cheeky wink at the redhead as she disappeared from the room.

Waverly sighed, pulling a pillow over her face and clenching her fists into it, trying to dispel the tension in her muscles. The sound of the running tap stopped, and she pulled the pillow from her face as Nicole came rushing back into the room, grabbing her shoes and flopping onto the edge of the bed.

“You’re welcome to stay as long as you like, if you know where you are, or we can take you back now as it’s on the way?” Nicole fumbled with her shoelaces as she spoke, and Waverly grinned at the flustered state the rep was clearly still in.

“It’s okay, I’ll come now!” Waverly sat forwards with a smirk, dropping a low husk into her voice. “Or _not_ , as the case may be.”

Nicole groaned, freezing in her efforts to tie her shoes, squeezing her eyes shut and clenching her jaw.

“Although...” Waverly continued, crawling closer to the edge of the bed, her eyes playful but her voice deliberately teasing. “It _is_ tempting to stay here in your bed and finish what you started.”

“ _Waverly.”_

Nicole’s eyes flashed dangerously dark as she turned to face her, and the low growl of her name sounded almost like a warning. Waverly shivered, the sound rippling between her thighs. She felt intense arousal, and a smug sense of pride as she watched Nicole’s battle against her desire play out in her eyes. She grinned, winking at the redhead as she dragged herself from the bed, pulling her jeans on, but not bothering to change out of the t-shirt Nicole had given her the night before.

“I’m keeping this.” Waverly wrapped her arms around herself, smiling coyly as she made eye contact with Nicole.

“Hmmmm. It does look _way_ better on you.” The rep’s eyes softened as she finally stood, pulling on the hem of the shirt, bringing Waverly closer. “Can I see you tonight? There’s a bar crawl, I know it’s not really your thing but I figure Wynonna...”

“Yes.” Waverly’s whisper cut off Nicole’s rambling, and she wrapped her arms around the redhead’s neck, pulling her in to kiss her.

“Yeah?” Nicole mumbled against Waverly’s lips, her hands slipping under the back of the brunette’s shirt as she deepened the kiss, the persistent heat rising immediately between them.

“NICOLE!” Jeremy’s voice yelled through the door, his fists hammering hard against the wood.

“ _Aaah_ , _YES._ Yeah, alright!” Nicole started, suppressing a grin as she tried to take a deep breath. “ _Alright._ ”  
  


***********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************  
  
  
Waverly’s phone buzzed against the table of the beach bar, and her lips curled instantly into a smile as she read the name that flashed across the screen.

_Is it normal to think about someone quite this much? x_

She noticed Chrissy raise an eyebrow at her from her seat beside her, and she bit her lip in an attempt to stop the beaming tell-tale grin from spreading across her face, the words of Nicole’s text message causing butterflies to beat in her stomach. Since she’d left Nicole that morning, her mind had been swimming with everything that had happened over the past 24 hours. The way that the rep had spoken so openly to her last night had thrown the last of any possible reservations out of the window for Waverly, and she was done holding back. Firstly, because she liked Nicole. _Really_ liked her. The whole ‘butterflies, stomach flips, nervous and yet somehow much calmer whenever she’s around, thinking about her all the damn day’ kind of liked her. And secondly, because honestly it felt like Nicole had spent enough of her life waiting for someone to see who she was and to love her for it, and Waverly figured that it was about time the rep understood how it felt to be on the receiving end of the kind of genuine feelings that she had for her. She grinned, ignoring Chrissy’s pointed smirks as she typed out her response.

_Who knew you were such a sap, Haught? ;) ... but if it’s not normal, then I’m as crazy as you are. x_

Waverly sighed, her mind casting back over the morning. She couldn’t help but feel a little restless; a little frustrated. Since her reservations about Nicole’s reputation had been squashed, she was fast finding herself feeling all kinds of things for the redhead, and after the morning’s tryst the most prominent feeling right now was that she really _wanted_ her. Chrissy nudged her, wriggling her eyebrows and Waverly grinned, trying to tune herself back into the conversation around her before she allowed her mind to get too lost in a train of thought that there really was no coming back from. She shook her head, forcing her mind to focus just in time to hear Robin explain that he and Jeremy had visited the turtle hospital, and Jeremy had been bitten by a snapping turtle, much to Wynonna’s extensive amusement.

“A turtle bit my kinda-maybe boyfriend. _I_ haven’t even bitten my kinda-maybe boyfriend yet.” Robin scrunched his face in a grimace as Wynonna laughed loudly.

“You two are so fucking hopeless.” Wynonna grinned, shaking her head as Robin chuckled. “Also, Chrissy are you just gonna eye-fuck that bar boy for three months, or are you gonna do something about it?”

“Yeah, we have a date tomorrow night.” Chrissy shrugged, her voice feigning nonchalance, though her lips curled as she tried to suppress a smirk.

“ _What?_ ” Waverly shrieked, slapping her friend’s arm. “Since when did that happen?”

“While you’ve been making googly eyes at your phone all morning, Perry asked me out.” Chrissy grinned, winking at Waverly as she rolled her eyes.

“This vacation is fast becoming a barf-fest, guys.” Wynonna groaned through a mouthful of food. “And speaking of, Romeo and Casanova at two o’clock.”

Wynonna nodded her head towards the beach, and the group turned to follow her eyeline. Waverly felt her heart rate soar as she spotted Jeremy and Nicole making their way onto the veranda, seemingly for their lunch break. Alongside them, her arm linked through Nicole’s, was a second redheaded woman Waverly didn’t recognise. The woman was wearing the same uniform, and laughing loudly at something Nicole had said. Waverly felt Chrissy nudge her and she glanced at her friend, who frowned, raising her shoulders in question as she gestured towards the unfamiliar rep. For a fleeting moment, Waverly felt her heart sink through her stomach, and jealousy and uncertainty crept into her chest. She and Nicole certainly hadn’t made anything exclusive, so was she reading this wrong? If so, then she didn’t even have a right to be jealous, and what was she supposed to say? She swallowed hard, turning her gaze back to Nicole just as the rep spotted her, her face splitting into a beaming, dimpled grin that dove straight into Waverly’s chest, bursting into butterflies in her stomach. The look of giddy excitement in Nicole’s eyes was so assured that all uncertainty immediately melted, and Waverly grinned as she realized that actually, somehow she trusted Nicole implicitly already, and she knew that label or none, the rep only had eyes for her. She felt her shoulders drop as Nicole reached her, leaning down immediately to place a lingering kiss on her lips. Waverly exhaled slowly, trying to still her racing heart as Nicole pulled a chair over, shuffling her way in so that she could sit beside her, linking their fingers and placing a soft kiss over the back of them.

“Hey.” Waverly breathed, feeling a little bashful at her own giddiness. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” Nicole grinned, her sparkling eyes flicking between Waverly’s gaze and her lips. “Missed you.”

“Oh _gross_ , it’s been like four hours.” Wynonna cut through, pointing a finger at Nicole and grimacing. “You’ve changed.”

Waverly chuckled as Nicole scowled at Wynonna then laughed, the light tint of a blush visible over her cheeks. Wynonna halted, her head jerking to the side as the unfamiliar redheaded rep sat down beside her, swiping her drink and brazenly taking a sip. The brunette raised her eyebrows in incredulity, though Waverly could see the slight smirk of approval playing at the corners of her lips.

“Sorry, guys – this is Mercedes!” Jeremy interjected, gesturing towards the redhead. “She’s one of the reps on one of the other hotel rounds.”

Waverly sat back, relaxing into Nicole’s side, the redhead’s arm over her shoulders as the conversation flowed between them. The group immediately felt comfortable with Mercedes in it, and she and Wynonna really seemed to be hitting it off. She was just as tactile with Wynonna and Chrissy as she had been with Nicole, and any concerns that Waverly had carried initially instantly faded. The time seemed to pass unfairly quickly before all three reps were glancing at their phones, anticipating the end of their break.

“Duty calls, guys, we gotta go.” Jeremy’s reluctant voice eventually spoke up through the general chatter, and the reps began to gather their things. “We’ll see you all tonight?”

“Rosita, Mercedes – join us?” Robin offered, supported by a chorus of agreement from the rest of the group.

Waverly didn’t hear the response, distracted entirely as Nicole pulled her in to kiss her; the kiss soft and not nearly long enough.

“Put her _down_ Haught-and-heavy, not in front of my salad.” Wynonna groaned, rolling her eyes.

Nicole smirked, flipping her middle finger up at Wynonna as she pulled Waverly back in, the kiss longer and a little deeper, leaving the brunette’s chest fluttering.

“And that...” Nicole grinned smugly, pointing at the remains of Wynonna’s pizza. “Is decidedly _not_ a salad.”

Waverly grinned as Nicole winked at her, her dimples popping in full force as she backed away. She couldn’t tear her eyes from the redhead as she walked away, sighing deeply as she disappeared down the beach. She had definitely been swept well and truly off of her feet, and she was loving every second of it.  
  
  
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Waverly tipped the shot back, grimacing as the aniseed liquid hit the back of her tongue. They were three bars in, and Wynonna and Mercedes had been relentless with the shots. She watched as Nicole stepped back, the group too rowdy to notice that she hadn’t taken one. Both Waverly and Nicole had drank considerably less than the others. The group was larger than usual, with Perry, Rosita, Mercedes and Dolls all having joined, and there was enough distraction for Wynonna not to be giving them too much grief over their alcohol consumption, but both had drank enough for a light buzz.

“Have I mentioned how unbelievably good you look tonight?”

The whisper of Nicole’s voice in Waverly’s ear sent shivers down her spine, and she turned to face the rep, pulling her close.

“Hmmm, maybe once or twice.” Waverly grinned, pulling her down into a kiss, running her nails over the back of Nicole’s neck as the redhead pulled their hips flush together.

The heavy weight of arms wrapping sloppily around their shoulders pulled them apart, and Waverly winced as the high-volume of Mercedes and Wynonna demanding another round of shots burst through her ears. She extracted herself from her sister’s grip, sending her to the bar with an amused shake of her head.

“Those two are dangerous.” Nicole stepped closer once more, wrapping her arm around Waverly’s waist and chuckling as Wynonna and Mercedes stumbled off together, cackling loudly.

“What’s _dangerous_ , is _you_ in that shirt.” Waverly husked, pulling Nicole’s bottom lip between her teeth and trailing her fingers over the low spread of the short sleeved, khaki-green shirt that clung tightly to Nicole’s body.

Nicole hummed, deepening the kiss instantly. Her hands ran down over the sides of Waverly’s thighs, her fingers reaching round to the curve of her ass, digging in gently. Waverly whimpered softly into the kiss, pressing her hips further forward as Nicole’s fingers dropped down to tease the top of her thighs just below her ass. Her mind clouded, and she both cursed and thanked Nicole inwardly for finding an undeniably sensitive spot without guidance, desire flooding her core as insistent fingertips drove her crazy.

“You’re a little handsy with a few drinks in you, aren’t you Haught-stuff?” Wynonna’s hand clapped across the back of Nicole’s shoulders and the rep jumped back, Waverly instantly missing the touch. “Jeremy says no shots as it’s next bar time!”

Waverly rested her forehead on Nicole’s shoulder, stifling a groan of frustration as Wynonna stumbled towards the door. Yes, Nicole _was_ a little handsy with a few drinks in her, and it was turning Waverly on more than she knew what to do with; the brunette still carrying all her pent up tension from their interrupted morning. She clenched her thighs, fighting to gather her wits as Nicole and Jeremy rounded up their guests ready to move on to the next bar.

Waverly closed her eyes, absorbing a brief moment of calm as she stood in the queue to place their orders in the next bar. Nicole had been right; this really wasn’t her scene, but there was something about the particular group that she was here with that made it feel far more bearable. She shivered as she felt Nicole’s body press close behind her, her breath ghosting over her ear, her fingers tracing lightly over the skin of her abs, just above the waistline of her shorts. Waverly could feel her muscles trembling under the touch, and she knew that Nicole was fully aware of _exactly_ what she was doing. Waverly exhaled heavily as Nicole’s teeth closed gently over the shell of her ear, working their way down to suck the lobe into her mouth. Each movement seemed to connect straight to Waverly’s center, and she shuddered as soft lips pressed hotly just below her ear. Gripping hold of the redhead’s arms, Waverly spun, bringing her lips to Nicole’s ear.

“ _Nicole_...”

She heard the growl in her own voice, mirroring the warning she’d heard from the rep this morning. She smirked, biting down on the redhead’s earlobe, the groan her actions elicited sending a jolt of arousal straight to her clit.

“Drink up Haught-shit!” Wynonna pushed her way between them, shoving a suspiciously strong smelling shot glass in Nicole’s face. “If you’re gonna be banging my sister, you and I are gonna have to have some bonding time, and this is the _only_ way I know how!”

“ _Wynonna!”_ Waverly groaned, both embarrassment and irritation clear in her voice.

Frustration surged through her every muscle, and Waverly was struggling to hide her impatience with the constant interruptions. She knew they were in public; knew they were around friends and her sister; but she really didn’t care. Not when Nicole looked incredible, she _felt_ incredible, and Waverly just wanted to be as close as it was acceptable to be in a sweaty bar for a while.

Nicole smirked, something like defiance flashing through her eyes as she stepped away, taking the shot glass from Wynonna and throwing it back. Waverly grinned, quirking an eyebrow. The resolve in Nicole’s face suggested that Waverly was about to witness a fierce competitive streak, and she wasn’t entirely sure who her money was on. Waverly settled back, trying to suppress her amusement as Wynonna ordered another round, sliding several shot glasses down the bar towards Nicole. She was soon joined in her spectatorship by Jeremy, Robin, Chrissy, Perry and Dolls, the latter causing enough of a distraction for Wynonna to finally stop the barrage of shots and turn her attention away from the bar.

“Body shots!” Wynonna smirked, her eyes running deliberately flirtatiously over Dolls’s body.

“Oh my _god_ Wynonna, we are _not_ sorority girls!” Waverly groaned, feeling the heat of a blush cross her own cheeks at her sister’s brash suggestion.

“Oh come _on_. Chetri and Robin, you and Haught, Chrissy and Perry... and I guess that leaves me and Dolls.” Wynonna pointed her fingers at each person as she spoke, winking at Dolls as she landed on his name.

Waverly winced as Wynonna shouted the tequila order across the bar, the rest of the group clearly drunk enough to be more than willing to engage. Wynonna carried the tray to a nearby table, and Waverly watched as Jeremy and Chrissy lay back across it, hoisting up their shirts to line the salt over their abs, holding the lime slices in their mouths. She sighed, her resolve fading as Wynonna handed her the salt and a lime slice with a wink. She turned to face Nicole, grinning as she registered the mischievous glint in the redhead’s eyes, and the playful smirk across her lips. She bit her lip, her heart rate rising and the ache between her thighs growing stronger as she surrendered herself to the game, vowing to use it fully to her own advantage. She twisted her hand in Nicole’s shirt, pulling her close enough to run her tongue over the redhead’s bottom lip, sucking it into her mouth before pushing her back, laying her own body across the table. She kept her eyes trained on Nicole’s as she popped the button on her shorts, spreading the material enough to draw the line of salt from the waistband of her underwear to her belly button. She smirked, Nicole’s eyes darkening as they watched, then flicked back to Waverly’s, boring into her behind the lust-filled glaze. Waverly’s breathing grew heavier as Nicole licked her lips, dropping down over Waverly’s stomach, her hands on the table either side of her hips. She could feel every muscle trembling, the heat that flushed under her skin almost painful, her clit pulsing hard against the material of her underwear. Nicole’s burning eyes didn’t leave hers as her tongue ran torturously slowly over her skin, and she fought hard against the groan that threatened to leave her lips as the redhead bit down gently just below her belly button. She swallowed hard as Nicole threw back the shot and moved over her to take the lime, her eyes darker still and her lips parted. Waverly smirked, taking the lime between her fingers and squeezing the juice into her own mouth. She wrapped her fingers around the back of Nicole’s neck, pulling her down into a deep kiss, sinking her tongue into her mouth; the tastes of salt, tequila and lime mixing between them.

“ _Sweet_ baby _Jesus_ guys, have _some_ public decency.”

Wynonna’s voice registered enough for Waverly to pull back, but she couldn’t tear her gaze from Nicole’s eyes; black, hooded, _predatory_. Neither seemed to breathe for a moment, Nicole’s fingers closed firmly over the still open waistband of Waverly’s shorts, until she bit her lip, slamming her eyes shut.

“I-I think I need some air.” Nicole’s voice was hoarse and strained, thick with arousal and something running beneath it that Waverly couldn’t quite identify.

Nicole backed away, an apologetic look in her eyes as she turned and rushed towards the doors to the smoking area. Waverly’s stomach dropped, her blood running cold as panic waved through her. _Shit._ Had she pushed it too far? She hesitated for a moment, confused as to what had happened, and whether Nicole would want her to follow. She figured either way, she owed the redhead an apology, so she made her way through the crowds in the direction Nicole had headed in. She pushed through the doors into the smoking area, spotting Nicole stood in the corner, leaning back against the wall, her eyes closed.

“Nic...” Waverly spoke softly, approaching cautiously in her uncertainty.

Nicole opened her eyes, and Waverly swallowed hard as she registered their still lust-darkened haze, though the apologetic look was still in them. She offered Waverly a small smile, though tensed as Waverly moved closer.

“Please don’t touch me.” Nicole winced, but her voice was softer than Waverly had been expecting, and her lips curled into a shy smile.

“I’m sorry Nic, did I do something wrong?” Waverly spoke quietly, not quite sure whether she needed to apologise or not.

“What? Waverly, no! Ugh. _No_. It’s just...” Nicole blushed, dipping her face as her smile widened. Keeping her face turned down, she glanced up at Waverly, her eyebrows raised. “I _really_ want you.”

“Wait... _what_?” Waverly started, her eyes widening at the unexpected words. She giggled as the realization hit her, her shoulders dropping and her chest relaxing. She raised an eyebrow, grinning at Nicole as she waited for her to expand.

 _“_ You’re driving me _beyond_ crazy, and I want you, and I can’t have you tonight, so I just came out here to...” Nicole gave a cheeky grin and a chuckle as she gestured aimlessly with her hands, the sparkle flashing back in her slightly glazed eyes. “To cool down.”

Waverly laughed, relief washing over her as the tension lifted. She stepped closer to Nicole, pulling on the hem of her shirt to bring their bodies together.

“What, exactly, has made you think you can’t have me tonight?” Waverly kept her voice sweet, brushing her nose against Nicole’s, her hands running up the spread of the redhead’s shirt to rest on the collar.

“I don’t want our first time to be when I’ve been drinking.” Nicole stated simply, the honesty in her voice so clear that Waverly was almost taken aback. “I want to remember everything... and I want to be half decent.” She grinned.

Waverly swore she could feel her chest physically swell, her smile spreading almost embarrassingly wide. She had been drinking considerably less than Nicole had, and was sober enough that the thought hadn’t even occurred to her, but the fact that it was so prominent in Nicole’s alcohol hazed mind was nothing short of adorable. And _sexy._ Why was it _so_ sexy? She wrapped her hands around Nicole’s neck, raking her nails lightly over the back as she brushed their lips together.

“You’re _so_ pretty, and I like you _so_ much.” Nicole whispered, the words hitting Waverly’s lips before she heard them.

“I like you too.” Waverly grinned, pulling Nicole into a passionate kiss, humming into her mouth before she pulled away. “Well, what do you say we get you home? You can sleep this off. And I will see you in the morning?”

“Mmm’kay.” Nicole nodded, clearly distracted, her eyes focused on Waverly’s lips, her hands wrapping firmly around her waist. “Wait, you will?” She furrowed her brows, her eyes flicking back to Waverly’s.

“Mmhmm. Jeremy and Robin have insisted we are all going to the waterpark.” Waverly grinned, watching the redhead’s eyes widen.

Nicole puffed her cheeks out, her brow creasing with the realization of what she was going to have to face on her hangover. Waverly chuckled, planting a kiss on her nose. Nicole beamed, bringing her dimples out, which Waverly also couldn’t resist kissing before she finally pulled away, linking her fingers with Nicole's and dragging her back into the bar behind her.

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Waverly tossed in her bed, unable to settle, her mind and her pulse racing. Images flashed behind her eyes; Nicole’s hands exploring her body, the weight of her thigh rocking between her legs; the growl of her name on her lips as she’d teased her; of her teeth grazing over the shell of her ear; of her tongue running _so_ slowly over her stomach, the carnal look in her eyes. Waverly was warm - too warm - and she kicked at the blankets, tugging at the layers of her own clothing. She ran her hand slowly down her torso, trailing her fingers over the path that Nicole’s tongue had taken earlier in the evening. She closed her eyes, allowing the images to play out in her mind as she slipped her fingers below the waistband of her shorts, low murmurs of Nicole’s name already on her lips.


	8. Paradise Burning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your feedback - you're all dragging me through this lockdown one comment at a time, and I love you for it. =)
> 
> Much love.

Nicole threw two painkillers into her mouth and washed them down with the last of her water bottle, before placing it in the locker with the rest of her things, and strapping the key band around her wrist. Her hangover was still pounding lightly behind her eyes but she was coping fairly well, luckily having slept enough of it off. She padded out of the locker room into the heat of the sun, finding the rest of the group milling about alongside a low, palm-lined wall waiting for her. She grinned as she caught Waverly’s eyes scan her body in her bikini, raising an eyebrow as the brunette gave her an appreciative smirk. She bit her lip, closing her eyes for a brief moment. She really wasn’t sure she could take another full day of the brunette’s relentless teasing; particularly not when she was in that same black criss-cross bikini that she’d so deliberately taunted her with at her last welcome meeting.

Nicole’s stomach fluttered with childlike excitement as Waverly pulled the park map open across the wall. Having never had these kinds of experiences as a child, on arriving in Florida Nicole had discovered a fondness for theme parks and water parks and anything that was a little playful. Waverly’s fingers found their purchase over the small of her back, her fingertips running small circles around the dimples above her ass, and Nicole shivered, glad at least for the distractions of the sounds and the colors and the smell of chlorine and fast food in the park around her. The group started to make their way further into the park, kitted out like a forgotten pirate’s cove. In pride of place, a faux jagged mountain loomed above them, housing a host of flumes that spiraled out from the rocky center, a large pirate ship balanced atop of the rocks. 

The sound of a booming foghorn rang out, and the group jumped, several squeals peeling through the air around them. Nicole laughed loudly, all too familiar with the sound and its meaning. She halted Waverly, and reached forward to grab hold of Wynonna’s shoulder, pulling her back just in time for the brunette to escape most of the heavy fall of water that hit the ground, courtesy of a large cannon tipping overhead.

“ _Major_ brownie points, Haught-stuff!” Wynonna clapped her on the back, her eyes wide. “Thanks!”

The childlike excitement seemed to take over everybody as the group made their way around the park. The sun was strong, but the queues were fairly short for the time of year, and they managed to spend most of their time in or on the water. Nicole sat back on a double ring, nestled between Waverly’s legs, holding onto the bars at the top of the slide as she waited for the attendant to give the all clear. To their right, Jeremy and Robin sat in a similar position; Robin behind and Jeremy in front. Waverly had argued that they should be the same way round - smaller at the front - but had happily relented once Nicole told her that if they wanted to win the race, the heavier weight should pull at the front. The attendant blew his whistle, and both teams pushed their rings into the tubular flume slides, whoops and cheers echoing through the plastic.

Nicole couldn’t hold in her laughter at Waverly’s relentless squeals and screams behind her as the ring sped round the corners of the flume, flying up the sides of the tube with the speed and the water. The squealing stopped as the ring emerged into a wider dome, dimly lit via tiny clear plastic windows at the top. The water carried the ring around the dome, slowly dropping closer to the center with each circuit. In the center, a circular hole indicated the continuation of the enclosed flume, and Waverly’s screams picked up again as she realized that with each circuit they were swirling closer to the vortex. Nicole giggled, wrapping her arms around Waverly’s legs in an effort to reassure her as the ring finally plummeted through the vortex, speeding off on its journey through the second half of the flume. They shot out of the end, Nicole’s weight hitting the water first, sending the back of the ring flying upwards, causing them to capsize. They emerged from the water, wiping their eyes and giggling just in time to see Robin and Jeremy hit the bottom, sailing smoothly across the surface.

“Okay okay, so Wayhaught may have the _speed_ , but Jetri has the _style._ ” Jeremy sang out, making finger guns in their direction as their ring coasted past.

“ _Wayhaught_?” Waverly questioned with a giggle just as Nicole gripped the edge of the boys’ ring, tipping them both, kicking and screaming, into the water.

They managed to find the rest of the group waiting at the bottom of a bowl slide for Wynonna, having been the last in the queue. Nicole shaded her eyes, spotting the brunette shooting out of the flume and into the large bowl; this slide’s vortex leading to a drop into the pool. Nicole laughed loudly, the giggles unstoppable as Wynonna just seemed to swirl round and round the bowl for way too long, her speed growing slower with each circuit. Her squeals eventually stopped, and her confused voice echoed out across the funneled plastic.

“Guys... am I gonna grow old in here?”

Nicole creased, unable to stop the hard laughter from wracking her sides, Waverly’s hand on her back to support herself in her own laughter as Wynonna eventually plopped out head first, so slowly that she barely made a splash.

“It’s like it _birthed_ you!” Nicole managed to spit her words out between her giggles as Wynonna dragged herself from the water, shaking her head despondently, though a smirk tugged playfully at the corners of her lips.

“Fuck off Haught.” Wynonna grinned. “I need a beer after that. Lunch?”

Nicole linked her fingers in Waverly’s as they walked back towards the food courts, the feeling of the brunette’s hand in her own still making the butterflies swarm in her stomach. She could hear Wynonna and Chrissy in conversation close behind them, and her heart swelled with another day of contented happiness around the people she was growing to love.

“You having fun?” Nicole squeezed Waverly’s hand gently, enjoying the wide smile that had been plastered across the brunette’s face all morning.

“Hmmm. I am, but...” Waverly trailed off, pursing her lips, her eyes sparkling.

“But?” Nicole furrowed her brows.

“ _But_ I’ve gotta be honest Haught. It’s getting kinda hard to be around you in this little clothing, and not be able to do _any_ of the things I want to do to you.”

Waverly’s voice was so casual, carrying all of its usual playfulness and none of the husk that she tended to lace deliberately through it when she teased, that it took Nicole a moment to process the words. She halted, pulling the brunette back and into a searing kiss; the only thing she could think of to stop the groan from erupting from her chest. She pulled apart only once she felt Wynonna flick her ear as she passed them, her brash voice breaking the tense arousal that had pulled Nicole under.

“ _Oi_ horndogs, surely you can put each other down for five minutes!”

“Especially after the amount I heard you go at it last night. Number of times I heard Nicole’s name through the wall, I’m betting it was at _least_ three rounds.” Chrissy’s singsong voice rang the other side of Nicole, and the rep twisted her head towards her, furrowing her brow in confusion at the words.

“Oh _god_ , Chrissy _please_ shut up.” Desperation and mortification rang clear as day in Waverly’s voice, and she blushed deeply, slamming her eyes closed.

Nicole’s heart leapt into her throat, her jaw dropping and her eyebrows shooting up. Holy _fuck._ Did that mean what she thought it meant? Waverly’s deep blush and her reluctance to meet her eyes suggested it definitely did, and the thought made her instantly wet. _Seriously?_ She swallowed thickly and ran her tongue over her lips, trying desperately to recover some of the moisture in her mouth, and preferably some sense of sanity. She bit her lip to suppress her giggle as Waverly pulled away, still not able to look at her. Nicole grinned, jumping to fall in beside Waverly as she walked. She nudged the brunette with her hip, what she _knew_ was a shit-eating grin spreading over her face, but she couldn’t stop herself. She opened her mouth to speak, Waverly instantly cutting her off.

“ _Don’t_ even think about it.” Waverly was still red with embarrassment, but she rolled her eyes with a smirk, nudging Nicole back with her own hip.

“I would be lying if I said it isn’t _all_ I can think about now.” Nicole knew how cocky her voice sounded, but honestly she felt as bewildered as she did smug, and the desire pulsing between her legs was almost painful.

“Oh my _god_ , Nicole.” Waverly smacked her arm lightly, her blush deepening across her cheeks once more.

“Is that what you said last night?” Nicole bit her lip and grinned, winking as Waverly’s eyes shot to her face.

Waverly scowled then halted again, pulling Nicole closer. Her eyes flickered with a playful glint, and Nicole froze, waiting for the move. Waverly leaned in, brushing her lips just millimetres from Nicole’s, hesitating for just a moment as her hands made their way onto the rep’s stomach, resting firmly on her abs. Nicole swallowed, her head so clouded with desire; so distracted that she didn’t even notice the foghorn ringing loudly overhead. Until the hands on her stomach pushed back firmly, and she cursed, flailing to grab at Waverly a second too late as the brunette sent her flying back into the path of the cannon, just in time to take the full brunt of the heavy blast of water. She stood stock still for a moment, letting the shock subside, her lips curling into a smirk at Waverly’s giggles.

“I guess I deserved that.”

The water was still dripping from Nicole’s face and her hair as they caught up with the others at the terrace café, and the group eyed her quizzically as they approached.

“Right, I’ll get the food in.” Wynonna stood, pointing her finger in Nicole’s direction. “Haught, you clearly need to dry out, you’re coming with me.”

Nicole’s chest fluttered in anticipation at the look in Wynonna’s eyes, but she smirked as she moved to follow her. She was pretty sure she knew what conversation she was about to take part in, and she was confident she could handle it. She knew that her intentions with Waverly were genuine, and she was hopeful that she could convince Wynonna of the same.

“Look, Haught...” Wynonna’s gaze was on her the moment they were out of earshot of the group, and both her voice and her eyes were softer than Nicole had been expecting. “You really seem to be making Waverly happy. I wasn’t expecting it, but I haven’t seen her eyes that color in a really long time, and I’ve got a lot of love for you for that, but here’s my problem.”

Wynonna turned to look at her sister, and Nicole followed her gaze. Waverly was laughing at something Jeremy had said, her head thrown back and her eyes crinkled at the corners. Nicole turned back to Wynonna, swallowing hard as noticeably harder blue orbs were already on her.

“This is a vacation for us, and it’s life for you. So the way I see it, either this is just a fling – in which case my baby sister is another notch on your bedpost, and she ends up hurt. Or, it’s love. In which case, in two months’ time my baby sister will get on a plane to Calgary, leaving her heart in Florida Keys.” Wynonna’s voice was harder than it had been, but it carried no malice. It was steady; firm, and Nicole exhaled as the protective fire in blue eyes and the words that had been spoken hit her in the chest. “You see how this is a no win for me?”

Nicole’s heart sank to her stomach, her chest closing as she looked over at Waverly, the realization washing over her for the first time that the brunette was going to leave. Her mind flashed instinctively to the police academy application forms lying by the side of her couch. This life had been something she’d wanted to leave behind for long enough as it was, and she knew that there was no way she could carry on pretending once Waverly wasn’t here. Not now; not now she knew how this felt. It hadn’t even occurred to her that this had an expiration date, and she was strangely sure that the reason for that was that somewhere deep down she didn’t think it did. It didn’t _have_ to. Not really. She could feel Wynonna’s gaze burning into her skin, and she turned back to face the older Earp.

“I...” She faltered. She wanted to explain, but she didn’t see how she could possibly voice that if things kept going the way they were going now, then she’d likely follow Waverly anywhere; not without risking coming off way too strong, and blowing it all.

Wynonna’s expression softened, her eyes searching Nicole’s face and seeming to see the answer she was expecting.

“I don’t need an answer, Nicole. I just need you not to hurt her.”

**********************************************************************************

Nicole switched the dial to cold for a moment, letting the water cool her skin before she turned off the flow, stepping out of the shower. She felt better, the chlorine and the sweat and the sun cream washed away. She felt contented; happier than she’d been in a very long time. Waverly made her feel secure and happy in herself, and she hadn’t even noticed the façade drop around her friends; it just naturally seeming to happen in the youngest Earp’s presence. Sure, she’d had some light teasing, but she much preferred being teased for her heart eyes than she ever had for her womanizing. She grinned, the feeling of comfortable contentment still so new that it made her feel almost giddy. She toweled herself dry, throwing on her PJ bottoms and a T shirt, scrunching the towel once more through her hair before making her way into her living room. 

She’d thought all afternoon about what Wynonna had said; about not hurting Waverly. She had no intention of hurting Waverly, and if she was honest with herself, she didn’t see that she would have to. If Waverly felt the same, then she was pretty sure she would make it happen. If she didn’t... well then it wouldn’t be Waverly who got hurt.

Nicole jumped onto her couch, pulling the police academy forms into her lap. She took a deep breath as her eyes scanned the pages. When was the last time she had even really understood the words? The tattered pages held nothing but pain, and she’d clung onto them for so long out of what? Hope, or punishment? She’d thought it was the first, but all they’d really served as was a reminder of her pain. Waverly’s words flashed through her mind.

 _The home and the security that I have now don’t come from a secure childhood, Nic. They’re in the ones who do choose to see me. It’s never too late for you to find that_.

She wasn’t sure what it was; the adrenaline buzz from a day of laughter with friends; or the sheer elation of the way that being with Waverly made her feel; but she felt strong. She felt empowered somehow by Waverly’s words, feeling a million miles away from everything that these pages represented, and she grinned. She jumped from the couch, tearing the forms into as many tiny pieces as her hands could manage, throwing them into the bin. It felt like the weight was physically thrown from her shoulders, and she giggled as she filled a glass from the tap, pouring it over the shredded pieces. She grabbed her laptop, practically bouncing back to the couch, pulling it open and typing the names of the police academies into her search engine. She drew up the application page for her first find, carefully beginning to fill in the details.

**********************************************************************************

Waverly lay back on the little picnic blanket, nestled away on the quiet beach of the small cove. She propped herself up on one elbow, her body turned to face Nicole; the redhead's body close to her own. A picnic hamper lay behind Waverly, the food now eaten, and the beginnings of a beautiful sunset lay before them over the ocean. Nicole’s eyes had fucked her brazenly all evening, just as she’d hoped they would in her little grey-black sundress, tousled in appearance. The dress cut midway across her thigh, and dropped low over her cleavage. It was one of those items that she never usually wore but always seemed to pack anyway, and as Nicole’s eyes roamed her body once more, she was _really_ glad she had. She’d teased her hair in loose waves around her shoulders, and she’d put a light layer of make up on. Nicole was clearly barely managing to keep her control, and even whilst she was paying attention to the conversation, her hands had roamed Waverly’s body almost subconsciously. Now her fingers were toying with the hem of Waverly’s dress, running over her thighs, occasionally slipping up below the material as she talked animatedly about something, and Waverly was starting to lose her composure. She shivered.

“Are you cold?” Nicole’s eyes showed her concern, and Waverly opened her mouth to protest until the rep continued. “Do you want to head back?”

Waverly shivered again, her mind instantly running through the scenario that she anticipated once she managed to get Nicole behind closed doors tonight.

“Uh – yeah, I do actually. Maybe we could take the rest of this wine back to yours?” She swallowed, hoping the quiver in her voice could be blamed on the chill.

Butterflies beat hard in Waverly’s stomach as they made the short walk back to Nicole’s apartment, the redhead’s arm draped over her shoulders keeping her warm, her own arm wrapped around the rep’s waist. The smell of her perfume and the proximity was too much, and Waverly had to fight to keep herself from practically sprinting home and dragging Nicole after her.

When they finally reached the apartment, Waverly entered first, turning to face Nicole as the rep closed the door behind them. Waverly took a step backwards, her voice low and firm as she spoke.

“Lock that.”

Nicole faltered, her brows furrowing in confusion. She swallowed visibly, her eyes widening as she searched Waverly’s face, turning slowly to do as she was asked.

“Do-do you want some wine?” Nicole’s voice betrayed her nerves, and she tensed as she stepped past Waverly to put the hamper down on the kitchen table.

Waverly shook her head, suppressing a grin at Nicole’s flustered state. She took a step closer, feeling her confidence surge as the redhead’s chest started to rise and fall visibly heavier.

“Nicole...” Waverly husked her voice, keeping her eyes trained on deep mocha as she took another step closer to the rep. The gap between them was now so small, that the redhead had no choice but to step backwards.

“I _know_ that you have been taking it slow, and I know that it’s because you want this to mean something...”

Waverly took another step closer, pushing Nicole back once again. She smirked, feeling desire course through her veins as she watched the redhead’s eyes darken, and her tongue dart out to wet her lips.

“But you have been driving me _fucking crazy_ for _way_ too long now.”

Waverly took another step closer.

“And I _know_ that you want me just as much, Haught.”

She stepped closer.

“And I don’t think I can take much more of you teasing me.”

Nicole’s knees hit the edge of the couch, and she surrendered instantly, falling to sit back on it, the tell-tale flush of nerves and arousal tinting her cheeks and her chest.

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to... I just...” Nicole sat herself upright, her eyes flicking over Waverly’s body. “I wanted to make sure you knew that I want more from you than sex... _fuck,_ you look good.”

Mocha eyes darkened further as Waverly subtly swayed her hips. Nicole slammed her eyes shut for a moment, her voice hoarse as she tried to force out the words she was working to say.

“I-I wanted to make sure you knew how much I like you.”

“I know you do.” Waverly hooked a finger under Nicole’s chin, pulling her eyes back up to meet her own. “And god, Nicole, I like you too. I really...”

Waverly stepped closer, placing her knees on the sofa, straddling Nicole’s lap.

“Really.”

She rolled her hips, exhaling hard as Nicole gasped, the sound burning through her veins and into her core.

“ _Really._ ” She husked, her mouth deliberately hot on Nicole’s ear, biting down gently on her earlobe. “Like you.”

“And right now...” She reached out to take Nicole’s hands, clenched in fists at her sides, bringing them to lay over her ass under her short dress, where she knew the rep would feel the lace that cut halfway across the curves. “I _need_ you.”

She pulled firmly in Nicole’s hair, laying hot kisses over her neck. The rep let out a harsh breath of arousal, and the pulse between Waverly’s thighs caused her to snap her eyes back to mocha. Their eyes locked together, Waverly deliberately and slowly ground her hips down, both of their jaws falling slightly slack, Nicole's fingers grasping her ass.

Their lips were so close that Waverly could feel the heat of Nicole’s heavy breaths over them, but there was something too powerful; too sensual in the heated lock of their gaze for either of them to want to break it with a kiss. Waverly ground her hips down once more, her fingers twisted in Nicole’s hair as the redhead’s hands moved from her ass, sliding up over her sides, carrying the dress with her. They came to rest high on her waist, her nails scratching over the back. Waverly couldn’t stop the roll of her eyes or the moan that fell from her lips, causing Nicole to push her own hips up, finally pulling Waverly in to kiss her.

Waverly moaned into the kiss, her tongue sliding over Nicole’s lower lip as the redhead’s hands moved back over her ass to rest under the bottom of her thighs, hoisting her up and pushing her back to lay across the couch. Waverly bucked her hips up to meet the weight that pinned her down, pulling the redhead closer with the legs wrapped around her waist. Nicole groaned, her hips rolling firmly against Waverly’s, her burning kisses moving to the brunette’s jaw and over her neck. Waverly let out a shaky breath, her arousal starting to overwhelm her, her hands clutching at Nicole’s shoulders as the rep rolled her hips harder. Something in Waverly’s exhale seemed to register in Nicole’s brain, and she caught herself, lifting her body to take her own weight with her arms. Waverly’s hips chased the contact, her brain starting to short circuit in her desire until Nicole leaned in for a soft kiss, her nose brushing over the brunette’s. Waverly searched Nicole’s face, her body trembling as the rep brought a hand up to her cheek, trailing her fingers over her lips. Her eyes only left Waverly’s to kiss her, immediately finding her gaze again at every opportunity. Her muscles were tense, and something flashing in her dark eyes told Waverly that she was fighting herself; holding her desires back in an effort to take things slowly.

"Nicole…" Waverly whispered, her heart pounding as she placed a hand on the rep’s heaving chest. "I want _all_ of you. Let go."

“Are – are you sure?” Nicole’s voice was shaky, her eyes flashing with concern over the lust-drunk haze below it.

Waverly smirked. She bit her lip, running her hand slowly between their bodies, waiting for Nicole’s gaze to track her movements before she slipped her fingers into her own underwear. Nicole’s jaw dropped, her eyelids fluttered and her breathing halted, her eyes watching Waverly’s every move in almost pained arousal. Waverly’s lips parted, the corners turned up in a teasing smirk as she brought her fingers to Nicole’s lips, pushing them into her mouth so that the redhead could taste her need.

“I am _so_ sure.”

Nicole groaned around Waverly’s fingers as she wrapped her tongue over them, and she rolled her body over Waverly in a deliciously filthy way that had the brunette ready to climb out of her skin, her clit twitching relentlessly. Something seemed to snap; the last button pressed, and Nicole’s eyes blackened as she released Waverly’s fingers. She surged forward, connecting their lips in a searing kiss that grew deeper and deeper, until it was dirtier than it ever had been between them; open mouthed and carnal.

Waverly could feel her desire, the material of her pants clinging desperately to her center as Nicole’s hips bore mercilessly into her. She fought against the haze clouding her mind, desperately trying to take back some of the control she’d started this with. She planted her feet, surging her hips forward and rolling them off of the couch, Nicole grunting in surprise as her back hit the floor, her eyes flying open. Waverly smirked, pinning Nicole’s hands over her head before standing up, keeping her eyes fixed on the redhead’s astounded gaze. She took a step back, standing over Nicole’s lower legs as she ran her hands slowly over her own sides, lifting the dress up and over her head. Waverly bit her lip, suppressing a smug grin as she watched the way lust drunk eyes raked over her body, and the black lace underwear she’d worn specifically for this reason. She held the dress out, dropping it deliberately onto Nicole’s stomach as she stepped back, the rep’s wide eyes watching her every move. She curled her finger, beckoning for Nicole to follow, before she turned slowly, smirking over her shoulder as she headed towards the bedroom, swaying her hips deliberately as she walked. Nicole’s eyes were burning, and for the first time this evening they screamed confidence. Waverly felt their heat flush over her skin as the redhead quirked an eyebrow, a dirty smirk crossing her face as she stood to follow.

Waverly fought against the urge to turn her head back as she headed into the bedroom, wanting desperately to tease Nicole a little longer. She turned finally as she stood in the centre of the room, feeling a strong surge in her confidence as she watched Nicole lean in the doorway, shameless lust glaring in her eyes.

“Are you gonna stand there all night baby, or are you gonna come and _fuck me_?” Waverly dropped her voice, husking the last words lowly.

Nicole’s eyes almost glowered, that predatory fire in them that Waverly had glimpsed after their body shot, and she knew that the tables had turned. She swallowed thickly, frozen in anticipation as Nicole stepped slowly towards her, her fingers working at the buttons of her own shirt. Every movement was so deliberate, so _cocky,_ that Waverly was struggling to keep a grip on her mind. She’d been so confident; so in control, but the look in Nicole’s eyes and the way she was approaching her now was pushing her into an uncontainable state of arousal and anticipation. She would have felt like prey, if something in the rep’s eyes didn’t make her feel so safe still. She was _so_ unbelievably turned on that she couldn’t move.

“ _Nicole...”_ She’d meant to warn, but the desire was wavering clear in her voice, and she could feel her muscles trembling as the redhead moved closer, most of her buttons now undone. Oh holy _fuck_ , she was in trouble.

 _“_ Waverly.”

Oh _god_ her voice was so low. _Shit_. Waverly exhaled hard, physically unable to move as Nicole shrugged off her shirt, dropping it to the floor, her fingers moving slowly to the button of her pants.

“You said that you wanted all of me.” Nicole halted for a brief moment, pushing her pants down and stepping out of them, leaving her in deep blue, matching lace underwear that was somehow _so_ much hotter than Waverly had expected.

“I-I did.” Waverly stuttered, finding her feet as Nicole came closer, and taking a shaky step backwards.

Waverly’s heart hammered in her chest, every muscle trembling as Nicole reached her. Blackened eyes still didn’t break their gaze as Nicole backed her against the wall beside the bed, her arms planted either side of her head, their bodies close enough to feel the heat that radiated from bare skin; but not quite touching. Nicole brushed her nose lightly over Waverly’s, and then slipped her tongue hotly over Waverly’s top lip, before sucking the bottom one into her mouth.

“Did you mean it?” Nicole husked against Waverly’s lips, before moving to trail kisses over her neck and her jaw, pushing their bodies closer, her hips pressing the brunette against the wall.

“ _Yes._ ” Waverly practically whimpered, her hands clutching at the small of Nicole’s back.

“Because I need to know, Waverly.” Nicole’s hands wrapped around Waverly’s thighs, finding _that_ spot on the back below her ass, pulling her hips firmly against her own.

Waverly gasped, her head thudding back against the wall. The rep’s voice was steady; almost the same as the usual, calming way that she spoke, but it was laced with something so thick; so low, so fiery, so powerful; that every word was reverberating in Waverly’s core.

“If I’m gonna _fuck_ you, baby...” Nicole husked the words in the same way that Waverly had, and the brunette felt it twitch in her clit. The redhead’s fingers twisted in the sides of Waverly’s underwear, and she rolled her hips hard against her, her voice hot over the brunette’s ear. “Then I need to know that this means as much to you as it means to me. I want to be able to say that I’m yours.”

“Oh _god_ , wha-what do you mean?” Waverly fought hard against her clouded brain. She was fairly sure she understood exactly what Nicole was saying, and she wanted nothing more, but the rep was making her delirious, her brain was short circuiting, and she was pretty sure she’d never been so fucking turned on in her life. So she needed to hear the clarification. 

“I want to be with you.” Nicole’s eyes softened, her hand brushing over the front of Waverly’s neck, squeezing lightly as the brunette’s eyes rolled back, her hips bucking forward desperately. She released her fingers, moving them to trail softly over Waverly’s lips, her dark eyes fixed on hazel. “I want to call you my girlfriend. If that's okay with you?"

Waverly whimpered, her entire body weak with arousal. She was turned on beyond belief, and now she was definitely sure she’d _never_ felt this way before. Physical and emotional arousal completely overwhelmed her, and she couldn’t quite understand how the _fuck_ this woman could be real.

“ _Fuck_ Nicole, yes. _Yes_ , please be mine.” Waverly almost laughed, her entire body humming with desire and elation. She clutched at Nicole’s shoulders, pulling her in to kiss her deeply. The redhead’s body rolled against her, in that same delicious way that she had on the couch, and she sank her tongue into Waverly’s mouth, pulling away to let out a groan as Waverly tugged in her hair, the brunette husking her words into her ear. “I’m yours. Fuck. _Fuck_ , baby I’m yours.”

Nicole’s lips curled, and she huffed out a half chuckle before she kissed Waverly again, instantly deep, instantly dirty. She hoisted her legs up over her waist and turned to the bed, throwing them both down together. Nicole broke the kiss, Waverly’s head thrown back into the pillows as the rep’s lips made their way over her neck, biting and sucking the flesh into her mouth, leaving a trail of hot purple marks in her wake. She trailed her kisses over Waverly’s chest, biting down on her nipples over the material of the bra, before pulling it down. Waverly’s moans started to fall louder, and more freely as Nicole slid her tongue over her nipple, her fingers rolling the other between them. Waverly arched her back into Nicole’s touch, reaching behind herself to remove the bra, the material nothing but irritating to her now. She unclasped Nicole’s bra, the redhead sitting back with a smirk to let the material fall from her body. Waverly’s mouth ran dry, her fingers twitching in her desperate want to touch Nicole, but the redhead pushed her back, her lips immediately seeking out her strained nipples, sucking hard, her tongue relentlessly swirling and flicking until it felt like the touch was on the brunette’s clit.

“ _God_ , baby if you keep that up I’m gonna come before you touch me.”

Waverly’s breathless words were rewarded with a deep suck on her nipple, a heavy groan vibrating around it. Nicole’s fingers trailed down her body with purpose, slipping between her thighs to lightly tease her over her underwear. The touch was so light that Waverly could barely feel it, but it was enough that her hips bucked against her will, her self-control slipping fast from her grip.

“ _Please_ , Nic, I need you.”

Nicole’s eyes bore into hers, a playful sparkle dancing amongst the black of her desire, and she grinned, her dimples making Waverly’s knees weak as she dropped down to the brunette’s underwear. With a devilish smirk, Nicole wrapped her fingers in the material at each side of the lace panties, her eyes on Waverly’s as she planted a soft kiss in the center of the neatly trimmed curls that lay below the fabric. Waverly’s breath caught as Nicole paused, and she nodded, unable to force her brain or her lips to use her words. Waverly twisted her fingers into the sheets below her, trying to stop her body from writhing in anticipation as Nicole pulled the material slowly over her legs, until she was finally fully bare.

“ _Fuck_ , you’re so beautiful.”

Nicole’s voice was thick; something so raw and honest in it that made Waverly blush. She fought against the urge to cover herself, whimpering as the rep’s tongue began to make its way over the inside of her leg. She choked back a moan, the fingers of one hand flying to tangle in red hair as Nicole bit down on the inside of her thigh, marking her just below where she really wanted her. _Needed_ her. The rep’s fingers trailed over her sides and her stomach, gentle touches in stark contrast to the marks she made with her teeth and her lips, and Waverly was starting to feel light headed with need. She opened her mouth, a plea on the tip of her tongue, but froze as she caught those fiery eyes lock on her own with purpose, and Nicole finally swept her tongue over Waverly’s core. The redhead’s eyes fluttered for a brief moment, her groan and exhale of appreciation vibrating through Waverly’s core as her tongue explored the brunette slowly.

Waverly could feel her thighs trembling, the overwhelming pleasure already too much as soon as Nicole focused her attention on her clit, circling it with the tip of her tongue before sucking it into her mouth. She gripped harder in Nicole’s hair, her other hand fisted tightly in the sheets in an effort to ground herself, trying desperately not to come so soon. Her entire body screamed with an overpowering mix of relief and searing frustration as Nicole’s mouth released her, her lips moving up over her stomach. She groaned, writhing her hips, desperately seeking contact as Nicole trailed kisses and gentle bites over her hip bones; her sides; her ribs; the curves of her breasts. She clutched in red hair as Nicole made her way back over her chest, biting down on her pulse point before she hovered over Waverly, kissing her deeply, the brunette whimpering as she tasted her own desire on the rep’s tongue.

Nicole pulled back, her blazing eyes penetrating Waverly’s as she trailed her fingers between their bodies, finally slipping over the brunette’s center. Waverly’s hips shook, her moans hitting Nicole’s lips as the rep ran two fingers, slowly and firmly either side of her clit, squeezing gently. The eye contact was driving Waverly crazy, every touch feeling amplified somehow by the flickering fire in the redhead’s gaze. She cried out, her forehead falling forward to rest on Nicole’s as two fingers sank into her, and she rolled her hips into the touch. Nicole's hips ground against the back of her hand, the power behind them causing her thrusts to hit deep. She fucked her unbelievably slowly, but so hard and so deep that Waverly’s entire body moved with every thrust, broken cries of Nicole’s name filling the air between them each time. _Still_ , the eye contact. Holy _fuck._ Waverly was completely lost, in all of it. In Nicole. Her hands roamed every inch of the rep’s body that she could reach, heat jolting through her veins as she finally felt the weight of Nicole’s breasts in her hands.

Waverly’s stomach muscles clenched, her thighs trembling hard as Nicole stopped her thrusts, keeping her fingers buried in the brunette, curling them towards the palm that pressed and ground against her clit.

“Oh god _Nic_ , you’re gonna make me come...”

She could feel her walls clenching hard around Nicole’s fingers, the rep persistently hitting a spot that made her see stars, and she pulled hard on the nipple rolled between her thumb and her forefinger.

“Fuck... _Waverly_!”

 _God._ The husk of her name falling from Nicole’s lips while she fucked her, those eyes boring into hers was too much, and Waverly’s body shook and convulsed as she came hard. She kept her eyes connected with Nicole’s until it became impossible, her head rolling back into the pillows, eyes slammed closed as she rode out her high. Nicole shuddered, a low groan falling from swollen lips, and she dropped down, running her tongue instantly over Waverly’s pulsing center. The brunette whimpered, her body unable to find the energy to make the sounds that it needed to make as Nicole’s mouth devoured her. It was barely any time at all before Waverly came again, her thighs gripping onto Nicole, her whole body trembling, the rep’s name bouncing from the walls.

Waverly couldn’t stop the soft giggles as Nicole made her way back up to her, a satisfied grin dimpling her flushed cheeks. Nicole pulled her in close, leaning down to kiss her. The kiss was softer than it had been, but the passion still ran electric through it, her fingers still dancing over the brunette’s skin.

“Oh my fucking Christ.” Waverly husked, burying her face in Nicole’s neck with a giggle as the redhead chuckled.

She hummed contentedly, pulling back to search the rep’s face as her mind honed in on a particular memory that made her heart soar.

“So, girlfriend eh?” She teased with a wolfish grin, wriggling her eyebrows as Nicole blushed.

“I-I...” Nicole stuttered, her confidence faltering, her cheeks flushed deeply in awkward embarrassment.

“Baby, I know.” Waverly smiled softly, running her thumbs over Nicole’s cheeks, as if to brush away the tint of embarrassment. “I liked it.”

“Yeah?” Nicole grinned, her eyes instantly glazing slightly in blissful realization.

“Oh _god_ yeah.” Waverly chuckled, pulling her back in to kiss her. “Now why don’t I show you _just_ how _much_ I liked it?”

Waverly rolled them over, pushing Nicole onto her back. She couldn’t hold her twitching muscles back any longer, her mouth and her fingers itching to trace every inch of the rep’s skin. She knew she was teasing; knew that Nicole had waited for more than long enough, but she was finally getting the chance to explore the body that she’d been eye fucking for weeks, and she was enjoying the whimpers of pleasure and anticipation that filled her ears from the lips above her. She took her slow, agonizing time mapping every curve of Nicole’s body: her neck, her shoulders, her chest; her breasts, and the way her nipples strained against the flat of the brunette’s tongue; her abs, and the way her muscles jumped as Waverly bit down on the spot where her stomach met her ribs; her sides, the soft moans that rewarded the dip of a gentle tongue over the groove of her hips; her stomach, repeating the torturous line that Nicole’s own tongue had drawn on Waverly’s salt-lined body just days ago, biting down gently in the same spot.

As she finally reached between Nicole’s legs, dragging the underwear down slowly, she felt a crippling wave of heat rush through her as she took in just how wet the redhead was for her. She shuddered, pausing for a moment as she waited for the rep’s eyes to open and focus on her own, before she slowly, firmly brushed her tongue from Nicole’s entrance to her clit. Waverly moaned, her own arousal searing again under her skin. Nicole felt incredible; so wet and soft and silky, and holy _shit_ she tasted like heaven. She lost herself instantly, her tongue exploring so slowly and so thoroughly that she could feel Nicole trembling against her, desperate fingers grasping in her hair.

“Waverly Earp, for the love of god, _please_ _fuck me_.”

The desperate need in Nicole’s voice; the frustration, the thick desire, the pleading words were like molten in Waverly’s veins, and she sucked the redhead’s clit immediately into her mouth, circling the flat of her tongue over the pulsing bud. It felt like less than 30 seconds before Nicole was crying out, her fingers gripping in Waverly’s hair and in the sheets, her thighs clenching hard around the brunette’s cheeks. Waverly searched Nicole’s face, reading every twitch of her eyebrows as she coasted the rep through her high, then eased her down. The sight of her; her flushed chest heaving; her kiss-swollen lips parted as she panted heavily; her hooded eyes still black as they fixed on Waverly’s; her fingers clenching and unclenching around the sheets. It was all too much for Waverly to take, and she needed to feel the pulse of the redhead’s orgasm around her fingers. She moved swiftly, her weight over Nicole’s as she kissed her, their lips barely parted before she sank two fingers hard into the redhead’s centre, the guttural groan of shock and pleasure vibrating into the kiss.

“ _Waves_.” Nicole’s hoarse whisper was barely audible against the brunette’s lips. “You’re gonna kill me.”

“Mmm I hope not.” Waverly pulled her fingers back, driving them hard once more into Nicole with a groan on her own lips. “I’m only just getting started.”


	9. Paradise Falling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for your comments - some of the ones I got on the last chapter were my favourites, ha!
> 
> This one feels a little bit stiffer, and I apologise for that - it was necessary to build up to the last few chapters, so please do bear with me and please do leave any feedback!
> 
> Much love as always!

Nicole’s lips were already curling up into a blissed out smile by the time she fully woke, and she wondered if it had ever left. Waverly was wrapped in her arms, the rise and fall of her steady breathing telling Nicole that the brunette was still asleep. The blankets were pulled up around Waverly’s shoulders, hiding her from Nicole’s view, but the redhead could feel the warmth of her skin pressed against her own, her fingers almost tingling as they mapped slowly over the brunette’s stomach and her hips. She grinned, burying her face in the back of Waverly’s neck, drinking in the sweet scent of shampoo and something so inexplicably Waverly that it was intoxicating. She had absolutely no doubt whatsoever that the feeling that coursed through her veins this morning was pure happiness. Beyond anything she could ever remember feeling in her life. Last night had been the best she’d _ever_ had. Nicole was used to lustful eyes on her body, and frantic hands over her skin; she was used to being desired, and she was used to her own name bouncing from the walls of her apartment; but she was used to being in control at all times. To the point where often her partners didn’t bother to reciprocate, and she’d be left clenching her thighs while they drifted into blissed out sleep. What she was most definitely _not_ used to, was feeling so at someone else’s mercy. Waverly had taken no prisoners, been very vocal about what she wanted, and she had claimed Nicole over and over again until the rep was a boneless mess. She was pretty sure it was the first time the apartment walls had heard a name besides her own screamed into them. And the _connection._ She’d never felt a connection like that, and she knew she was in trouble. She hadn’t exactly planned her little ‘girlfriend’ tryst, but when Waverly was so forthcoming with her want for her, she’d become overwhelmed with how much she wanted _everything_ with the brunette, and she’d been afraid to cross that last barrier without confirming that the feeling was mutual. She was falling fast and hard for Waverly, and she knew she was running the risk of getting hurt if this was just a summer fling to the brunette, but she didn’t even want to try to stop herself. It felt too good.

Nicole placed a soft kiss on the back of Waverly’s neck, and a second on her shoulder, her fingers trailing over the brunette’s sides. She took a deep breath, resisting the urge to explore Waverly’s body further, knowing that if the brunette woke then they wouldn’t be going anywhere any time soon, and she wanted to treat her new girlfriend to breakfast in bed. With one final kiss just below Waverly’s ear, Nicole slipped from the bed, throwing on a pair of boxers and a t shirt, and padded through to the kitchen. After Waverly had last stayed, she’d made an effort to fill her fridge with vegan alternatives, and she set about pulling out the ingredients for some blueberry pancakes and a coffee. It should have felt unusual; the domesticity of a shared morning. It wasn’t something that Nicole had done often in her adult life, even in past relationships. If you could call any of them that. It _should_ have felt unusual, but somehow it felt nothing but right. She was starting to realize that Waverly was a whole treasure trove of firsts for Nicole, and she felt like a kid at Christmas, hardly able to wait to tear into them all. Tiny niggles of fear and doubt battled in the back of Nicole’s mind still; the anxiety that Waverly would see this as a summer fling, and that the brunette believed it _did_ have an expiration date. Nicole fought them back, unwilling to let the doubts dampen the elation that she felt at the prospect of being with Waverly. Really _being with_ her.

Waverly stirred as Nicole pushed open the bedroom door, maneuvering her way in with two trays in hand. Nicole felt butterflies swarm in her stomach as the brunette’s eyes landed on her, her eyes widening in surprise and her lips spreading into a beaming smile that made the rep’s knees weak.

“Morning beautiful.” Nicole grinned, kicking the door closed behind her.

“Look at you, being the _perfect_ girlfriend.” Waverly’s voice was hoarse with sleep, but the bright happiness shone through clearly.

Nicole bit her lip, her stomach somersaulting at the label. Girlfriend. Even in the clearer air of the morning after, the word bled through her veins like a drug, every nerve ending tingling with euphoria. _Fuck_. Waverly _must_ see this as something more than just a summer fling, right? To agree to that? _Please_ let her feel this too. Waverly sat up to take the tray, the blankets pooling around her waist as she leant back against the headboard. Nicole’s breath caught in her throat, and she could swear her heart physically skipped a beat as her eyes took in the sight of the brunette sitting casually in her bed, breasts on display, the morning light dancing over her skin. She swallowed thickly, her eyes travelling back to meet Waverly’s gaze, blushing as she met a cheeky grin and a quirked eyebrow.

“You done perving, Haught?” Waverly smirked, her voice soft and teasing.

“I am merely appreciating how _god damn_ lucky I am!” Nicole grinned, shaking her head in astonishment as she let her eyes wander once more. “Wondering what on earth I did in another life to deserve _this_.”

“ _Well_...” Waverly pursed her lips, her eyes flicking to the side as if in thought for a moment, before she smirked, her warm gaze dropping back to Nicole’s. “I don’t know about another life, but in _this_ _one_ you plan incredibly romantic dates, you make me feel like I’m the only girl in the world, you rip the floor from under my feet when you kiss me, you fuck like a god damn goddess... and you make me breakfast in bed.” Waverly’s grin widened and she brought a forkful of pancakes up to her mouth. “So I think I can let you have a _little_ glimpse every once in a while in return.”

Nicole felt the blush spread across her neck and her chest at the compliments, and she grinned shyly at her own flustered state as Waverly threw her a cheeky wink.

“I-I _meant_ to get to be with you...” Nicole stuttered slightly, the butterflies beating hard in her stomach, but the mischievous spark in Waverly’s eyes was contagious, and she felt her confidence surge. She grinned, cocking her eyebrow as she dragged her eyes deliberately over Waverly’s chest. “But this particular view is pretty high on my mental list of Waverly Earp snapshots, I will say.”

Nicole climbed back into bed beside her girlfriend, their thighs pressed against each other as they ate their breakfast in comfortable silence. One of the things that Nicole liked so much about being with Waverly was the ease in these moments. The brunette never seemed to expect her to be anything, and that made her want to be _everything_. She grinned, Waverly’s words still ringing in her ears. She could feel the brunette turn her eyes on her, but she couldn’t wipe the smug smirk off of her face in time.

“What?” Waverly narrowed her eyes playfully, her lips tugging into a small smile.

“A _goddess_ eh?” Nicole teased.

“I said what I said.” Waverly shrugged nonchalantly, but the sparkle in her eyes and the playful smirk betrayed her teasing. “I mean, unless I’m remembering wrong.”

Waverly’s eyebrow shot up in playful seduction and Nicole grinned, immediately leaned forwards to take the tray, putting both on the floor beside the bed as Waverly giggled.

“Well then!” Nicole smirked as she rolled over Waverly, slotting a thigh between her legs and pinning her hands above her head, leaning in to brush her lips over the brunette’s. “I guess I’d better remind you.”

**********************************************************************************

Waverly kicked her legs gently in the water, perched on the stone bar stool in the swim-up bar. She ran her finger slowly around the rim of her glass, nursing the first cocktail of the day slowly. Wynonna and Robin leaned back against the bar beside her, all three looking out across the pool. The water was calmer at this end, people sat around the edges with their drinks, the only movements coming from those making their way to the bar. Down the opposite end of the pool, Nicole and Jeremy were running a ball game with a group of children, the host of red and yellow bandannas flitting about through the water. Waverly watched as Nicole jumped unexpectedly into the water, the squeals and giggles peeling out across the pool as the rep lifted a smaller girl up so that she could reach to throw the ball over the net. Waverly laughed, hearing Wynonna and Robin chuckle beside her at the redhead’s actions. She grinned as Nicole high fived the young girl, and jumped back out of the pool, her track shorts and her baby blue polo now heavily darkened by the water. Her grin faded instantly, and she licked her lips instinctively as the rep lifted her shirt over her waist to wring out the material, exposing the lightly tanned skin of her stomach.

“Down girl.” Wynonna chided, nudging her with her elbow, her lips curling in a smirk. “Honestly, you two might as well check out of your rooms, neither of you have slept in them in weeks.”

Waverly laughed, glancing at Robin who threw her a wink and a cheeky grin. She returned the wink, smirking as she leaned across her sister, slapping her hand to Robin’s in a high five. She turned her eyes back to Nicole, leaning back against the bar as she took a sip from her cocktail. The woman was beyond perfect, and had only seemed to get more so in the weeks since she’d called Waverly her girlfriend for the first time. Over the past two weeks, Nicole had shown Waverly parts of the world around them that she would never have managed to find with her friends. Nicole was funny, she was genuine, she made Waverly feel safe and secure, she made her feel truly wanted, and her presence was instantly calming. And she was _so_ fucking hot. The sex was _unbelievable_ , and Waverly had never wanted someone so much of the time. It took everything she had not to jump the rep at every given opportunity, and she only succeeded in situations where it would likely be frowned upon.

“Are you worried though, Waverly?” Robin’s quiet voice broke through her thoughts, and she turned to face him. His eyes had been on Jeremy, but they turned to hers as he spoke. “About...”

Waverly felt her heart sink as she searched her friend’s eyes. She’d seen the way he looked at Jeremy, and seen the same giddy adoration in his eyes that she knew must be in her own when she looked at Nicole. They were both falling in love, and the look between them now suggested they both knew it. She knew what her friend was trying to say. Was she worried about what happened when it was time to go home? _Yes_. She couldn’t help the small bubble of anxiety that sat in her chest whenever she thought too much about the way that she felt for Nicole. She was only too aware that her feelings were clearly much deeper than a summer fling, and she couldn’t deny that it scared her. She nodded, the movement so subtle that it wouldn’t have been noticeable had Robin not been looking for it.

“It’s _way_ too soon to ask him to follow me. Right?” Robin’s hushed voice was so soft it could barely be heard over the sounds of the pool, but the whisper of hope in his final question was so strong that Waverly’s breath caught in her throat.

She swallowed hard, hearing her own thoughts whispered in the meaning behind Robin’s words. _This doesn’t have to end, right?_ She didn’t know what she wanted from her future, and Nicole’s wasn’t exactly set in stone. So as crazy as it might be, she was right there with Robin. There was no real reason to assume that it had to end. _Right?_

“People have done crazier things for love, Jett.” Wynonna shrugged, taking a sip of her drink.

Wynonna’s voice was so unexpectedly assured, that both Robin and Waverly fell silent, their eyes drifting once more to the reps across the pool. Waverly’s stomach flipped as Nicole caught her eye, her dimples visible even from this distance, her cheeky wink setting the butterflies swarming. Waverly took a deep breath, shaking her head as she returned the beaming smile. She _knew_ Nicole liked her, and she knew that the rep was the one who instigated the exclusive relationship, but she couldn’t help but worry. She knew that so much of this was new to Nicole, and her own demons made her worry that the rep might not be thinking far enough ahead to plan beyond the end of Waverly’s vacation. Wynonna’s voice brought her back, and she turned back to her sister.

“And I might not be an expert in these things Babygirl, but I’m pretty sure that Haught would follow you off the edge of the earth if you asked her to.” Wynonna smiled softly, her eyebrow quirked in a pointed look that stated that she believed Waverly should well know that. “Now can we please stop this mush fest, it’s way too early in the morning for this kind of nausea.”

“Wynonna, it’s 1pm.” Waverly rolled her eyes, unable to stop the grin from spreading across her face.

“Exactly.” Wynonna deadpanned.

Waverly chuckled, her eyes drifting back to Nicole again, like magnetism. She felt her stomach flip as she found the redhead already looking back at her, wide eyes and a lopsided grin. Waverly winced, jumping slightly as the ball flew across the water, colliding with the side of Nicole’s head before she could offer any kind of warning. She chuckled as Nicole started, the blush over her cheeks clear even across the water.

“What have you done to that woman, sis?” Wynonna laughed, shaking her head beside her. “You broke her cool.”  
  


**********************************************************************************

  
The buzzer rang just as Nicole was putting the final touches to her blanket fort. She’d gathered every blanket, sheet, and pillow she owned, and had made her best efforts to create a cozy haven across the balcony. Fairy lights trimmed the edge of the floor, the glow bouncing from the soft white sheets she’d tethered over her head. The roof of the fort only came a quarter of the way across the balcony, leaving the night sky in view. Pillows lined the corner of the wall, the effect almost of a low couch, and she’d set her laptop in clear view.

She rushed to the door, pressing the buzzer to allow Waverly to enter. She knew she had a moment before the brunette would make it up the flights of stairs, and dashed into the bedroom, rifling through her drawers for the soft sweats and the loose t shirt that she knew her girlfriend loved to cuddle up in. She emerged from the bedroom, clothes in hand, just as Waverly closed the door behind her. She beamed, crossing the floor quickly, pulling the brunette into her arms and kissing her.

“Mmmm.” Waverly wrapped her arms around Nicole’s neck, holding her in place as the rep broke the kiss with a lopsided grin. “Hey, yourself.”

Waverly pulled back, eyeing the clothes in Nicole’s hands, then spotting the lights behind them on the balcony.

“What’s all this?” Waverly’s voice was soft as she stepped towards the doors, her eyes wide and an astonished smile spreading across her face as she took in the set up before her.

“I wanted to take you to an outdoor cinema, but I couldn’t find anything showing for the next few weeks, so I thought I’d create my own.” Nicole shrugged, rubbing the back of her neck nervously. “Is that okay?”

Nicole watched Waverly’s face, searching for a response in her wide eyes. She felt her stomach flip, unable to decipher the expression on her girlfriend’s face. It was a look she’d seen in Waverly’s eyes on more than one occasion lately, but it wasn’t one she could read the source of, and it always made her pulse race harder. No-one had ever looked at her like that before, and though she wasn’t sure what it meant, she knew it felt like a good thing.

“Baby?” Nicole blushed, the silence and the piercing gaze making her feel vulnerable.

Nicole’s heart hammered in her chest as Waverly’s fingers brushed her cheek, and she leaned in to a kiss that made the rep’s lips tingle and her whole body erupt in goosebumps; soft, slow, lingering. When Waverly finally broke the kiss, it took Nicole a moment to compose herself, her eyes closed a beat too long, her lips still parted until they spread into a lopsided grin.

“What was that for?” Nicole heard the broken hush of her own voice, and blushed a little at how easily Waverly could make her weak.

“You just really deserve to be kissed, Nicole Haught. Like, a _lot_.”

Waverly’s voice was soft, her eyes sparkling, and her fingers brushed again over Nicole’s cheeks as she spoke. The rep’s chest threatened to burst, and she didn’t even try to stop the beam that spread across her face. She wasn’t quite sure what she’d done to supposedly deserve that, but she certainly wasn’t going to complain. She grinned, watching as Waverly retreated to the bedroom to change her clothes, leaving her to choose a movie.

Nicole settled herself down in the blanket fort, pulling the laptop onto her thighs to search for a film. The sound of her email notification pulled her eyes to the corner of the screen, and she sat forward, her heart lurching into her throat, her blood boiling her veins and her pulse thumping in her ears as she scanned the subject line. _Southwest Florida Public Service Academy_. She froze, unblinking, her mind swarming as she hovered the cursor over the email.

“Baby this is incredible.” Waverly’s voice sang out as she stepped onto the balcony, taking in the lights and the blanket fort fully for the first time. She halted, taking in the rep’s wide eyes and her trembling fingers, her voice growing softer with concern. “Are you okay, Nic?”

“Y-yeah. I just... I-I got an email.” Nicole swallowed hard, her mouth dry and her words stumbling from her lips. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to compose herself. “I’m sorry, baby, can I just check this?”

“Of course!” Waverly’s voice still held her concern, and she pressed a soft kiss to Nicole’s cheek as she sat down beside her, but she nestled back against the pillows, allowing the rep her privacy.

Shaking, Nicole clicked the icon to draw the email into view. She held her breath as she read the words, her heart hammering and her palms growing sweaty. _An interview_. Her stomach felt like it was in both her heart and her stomach at once, and she exhaled hard. A video call interview, offered to make things easier for applicants for whom the distance would make a face to face meeting difficult. The words just seemed to swim before Nicole’s eyes, and every muscle seemed to tremble as she tried to process their meaning. A heavy buzz of excitement, shock and nerves swirled in her veins and she huffed out an astounded laugh. She blinked, reading the mail once more before closing it down, her heart lurching again as she spotted two other similar mails in her inbox. Edmonton Police College, and Ontario Police College. With shaky fingers, she opened the emails in turn. Both said the same thing. They wanted to interview her.

Nicole couldn’t stop the giggles as the heady rush of adrenaline coursed through her, and she span, throwing her body onto Waverly’s lap in giddy excitement, planting kisses everywhere she could reach over the brunette’s face and her neck.

“What’s going on Nic?” The brunette’s brows raised in question, though she giggled, wrapping her arms around the redhead’s waist.

“I’ve been offered interviews for three police academies.” Nicole heard the adrenaline in her own voice, fighting the urge to squeal as she heard the words spoken aloud.

“Wait!” Waverly’s eyes widened, her jaw dropping open. The brunette _did_ squeal, the sound making Nicole laugh openly. “You applied!”

Waverly practically bounced beneath Nicole’s legs, and the tables reversed as the brunette began to cover her squirming girlfriend in kisses.

“Oh my _god_ , Nicole this is incredible!” Waverly leaned back, bringing her hands to the rep’s face, running her thumbs gently over her flushed, dimpled cheeks. “Y _ou_ are incredible.”

Nicole grinned as Waverly pulled her in to kiss her, until the dark niggle of guilt pulled in her mind as a thought occurred to her. She pulled back, searching Waverly’s eyes for any signs of upset. All she saw was pride and affection in the sparkling gaze, but she couldn’t help but feel she owed her an apology.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you I applied, I didn’t want to jinx it, and...”

“ _No_.” Waverly’s firm voice cut her off, and the brunette shook her head, pulling Nicole back into the kiss. Waverly grinned, excitement lacing her voice when she spoke again. “When are the interviews? What do you have to do?”

Nicole swallowed hard, nerves and anxiety starting to seep through the elation as she considered the answers to the questions. The only interview she had ever had was the one that landed her the job she did now, and that had been over nine years ago. What if she couldn’t do this? What if she fucked this up, and lost the only dream she’d ever clung to?

“Hey.” Waverly hooked a finger under Nicole’s chin, pulling her eyes back up to meet soft hazel, her calm voice just the right side of firm. “You’re going to be amazing.”

Nicole’s shoulders dropped, and she felt warmth spread through her chest at the brunette’s words and the look in her eyes. Waverly seemed to have a way of reading her thoughts and her feelings, and it made her feel more seen and more cared for than she ever had before. She leaned down, her hands wrapping around Waverly’s cheeks as she pulled her into a kiss, pouring every ounce of affection and gratitude that she could into the movement of her lips. She deepened the kiss instantly, barely able to cope with the feelings rushing through her for her girlfriend in this moment. She groaned, rolling her hips as Waverly’s tongue pushed past her lips, desire pooling fast in her stomach. Waverly’s nails over the small of her back, dragging below her shirt brought goosebumps over her skin, and the heat in her stomach dropped lower. She moved her lips to Waverly’s neck, sucking the flesh into her mouth, unable to stop her hands from exploring the brunette’s soft curves. She trailed her tongue over Waverly’s skin, from the base of her neck to her earlobe, biting down as the brunette whimpered. Tracing her tongue over the shell of her girlfriend’s ear, Nicole slipped her fingers under the waistband of her sweats, gripping the material of her underwear between her fingers.

“ _God_ okay baby, wait.” Waverly’s eyes rolled back, and her words were moaned as she clenched her thighs, pushing Nicole back. “As much as I _love_ where this is going right now, we need to talk about this. Do you want to look over this stuff? Is there anything I can do to help? _Ooh_ we can practise some questions! Let me find my notebook!”

Nicole chuckled, running her hand through her hair as Waverly sat up, pushing her off in her excited rambling, her wide eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. Waverly grabbed her face, pressing a quick, chaste kiss to her lips, before scurrying into the apartment to look for her bag with a squeal of excitement. Nicole exhaled hard as she watched her go, a lazy grin spreading across her face at the sight of the brunette dancing about as she dug through her purse for the notebook.

“God, I love you.” Nicole whispered, the words falling before she could process their meaning.

She froze, her blood running cold in her veins, her eyes widening in panic. She winced, gritting her teeth as if she could somehow catch the words, halt them in the air before they reached her girlfriend’s ears. _Fuck_. She closed her eyes, exhaling slowly. _I love you!?_ Really? She searched her mind, looking for the clues that should have told her those words would fall from her lips. She guessed she knew she was falling in love. She hadn’t really bothered to deny it to herself, but she certainly hadn’t expected the words to form so easily, so soon. In all her life, as long as she could remember, she’d never told anyone she loved them. Never heard the words said back to her. How did they just fall from her lips so easily without question?

“Did you say something baby?” Waverly bounced back onto the balcony, notepad in hand and an eager grin on her face.

“No!” Nicole knew she’d answered too quickly, too vehemently, and she winced as the brunette furrowed her brows. She gave her best dimpled grin, patting the space between her legs and sitting back against the pillows, her heart pounding in her chest. “Come here.”

If Waverly had wanted to press the redhead, she didn’t, and the rep let her shoulders drop in relief as the brunette nestled herself between her legs.

“Let’s get you prepped, _Officer Haught_.”

Waverly turned her head with a smirk. Her voice was low, a deliberate husk laced through the name, and mischief dancing in her eyes. She pressed her smiling lips against Nicole’s, snuggling further back as she flipped the notepad to an empty page. Nicole grinned, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend, placing soft kisses on the top of her head, and then her temple, her entire body humming with the heady rush of her realization. _I love you._


	10. Paradise Unsettled

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can't believe we're on the home stretch of this fic - two more to go! Thank you so much for continuing to read and to comment, it means a lot to me.
> 
> As ever, please let me know what you think.
> 
> Love to you all.

“Baby you’re going to be amazing, okay?”

Waverly’s voice over the phone was calm, soothing even if not quite expelling the anxious knot in Nicole’s chest. The rep took a deep breath, halting her pacing as she tried to calm herself down.

“You’re two down Nic, it’s just this one to go. I’ll be over as soon as you’re done.” Waverly’s pitch raised slightly towards the end of her sentence, exposing her happiness at that statement, and Nicole couldn’t help but smile.

She was nervous. _So_ nervous. She resumed her pacing as she hung up the phone, adjusting her tie and brushing down her shirt. She’d had to buy them specifically for the interviews, and the starched cotton was still a little too stiff, especially in the Florida heat. The first two interviews had been... _okay?_ She’d nervously stumbled her way through, but the responses had felt positive and she was waiting with bated breath to hear back. Today, however, she was especially nervous. _Edmonton Police College._ This one was important to her, even if she didn’t really want to admit it.

Nicole was in love with Waverly, this much she understood. She wanted to follow, and Edmonton would be the open ended ticket that she needed to do that; to know there was a way that this didn’t have to end. The anxiety still niggled in her brain, reminding her that she didn’t know for certain if her girlfriend felt the same, and she hadn’t mentioned it for fear of pressuring or scaring the brunette. She was also only too aware that Waverly was still unsure about her own future, and she didn’t want to be the reason that her girlfriend didn’t chase her dreams. All of that was irrelevant though, if she couldn’t get in.

She took a deep breath, clenching and unclenching her fists in an effort to expel some of the tension. She sat down at her laptop, glancing at the time. 16:27pm. She adjusted the camera angle, and drummed nervously on the table as she waited for the clock to tick over. 16:28pm. Two minutes. She exhaled slowly, and dialed in to the call.

**********************************************************************************

Nicole swigged from a bottle of beer as she sat back on the balcony, her feet up on the bar of the glass barrier. She hadn’t yet bothered to change from her shirt and tie; the sleeves rolled over her elbows, the tie knot loosened and the top two buttons of the shirt opened. She closed her eyes and ran her hand through her hair, enjoying the heat of the early evening sun on her face. She felt drained, and somehow still on edge, having just finished her interview.

“Well, _fuck_.”

Nicole started, her eyes flying open, beer halted halfway to her lips. She’d given Waverly the door code, so that she didn’t need to buzz her in, and it still made her jump slightly when she crept up behind her. Nicole grinned, heat dropping low in her stomach as she watched her girlfriend’s eyes rake her body, her eyebrow quirking and her throat bobbing as she visibly swallowed hard. The rep smirked, placing her beer on the table as she sat up, beckoning for Waverly to come closer, pulling her onto her lap as soon as she could reach. The brunette’s hand flew immediately to her tie, tugging her in to kiss her heatedly, the other hand roaming over the material of the shirt.

“Every time I think you can’t get any sexier...” Waverly husked against her girlfriend’s lips, wrapping the tie around her hand to hold the redhead close.

“Wait until you see me in a police uniform.” Nicole winked, sliding her hands over the brunette’s ass with a smirk.

“Oh _don’t._ ” Waverly closed her eyes for a moment, her fists clenched in Nicole’s clothes, her thighs tightening around her lap. Nicole grinned, kissing the brunette’s nose, sparkling hazel-green eyes opening in response. “How did it go baby?”

“It was okay, I think. I don’t know. How do I know? My head is swimming, I don’t think I can wait to hear back. Hence...” Nicole shrugged, nodding her head towards the beer bottle on the table. “Trying to take the edge off.”

“Well...” Waverly grinned, tugging on the tie once more, closing the space between them. “I think I know of a way that I can relax you...”

Nicole groaned as Waverly kissed her, sinking her tongue into her mouth and biting down on her lip as she pulled away.

“Distract you...” Waverly’s hips rolled firmly over Nicole’s lap as she spoke, and she kissed her again, the rep tightening her grip over the brunette’s ass.

“ _Reward_ you.” Waverly husked, running the hand that wasn’t wrapped in the tie up to tangle into red locks.

“What do I need a reward for, baby?” Nicole tried to interject, her words trailing off into a groan, her body pulsing with arousal as Waverly tugged in her hair, her lips closing over her earlobe.

“For completing your interviews.” Waverly pulled back, her warm eyes fixing on Nicole’s as she spoke. She grinned at the rep’s already flustered state, tugging gently in her hair once more to punctuate her sentence.

“Wave that feels... _oh..._ ” Nicole closed her eyes, fighting the throbbing arousal for composure as Waverly ground down, riding her lap slowly, her hand fisted in her hair. “It-it feels a little premature, I haven’t been accepted.”

Nicole fought to regain her steady breathing, her eyes hooded as Waverly sat back, dropping her hands to the rep’s shoulders. Her eyes searched Nicole’s, and her voice was firm and assured as she spoke.

“Baby, this dream is _ten years_ in the making. The steps that you’ve made to apply and to have _three_ interviews are _huge_.” Waverly grinned shaking Nicole’s shoulders gently. “You should be proud of yourself.”

“Yeah?” Nicole felt her chest flutter under Waverly’s gaze and her words, and she smiled widely, wrapping her arms tight around her girlfriend’s waist to pull her back in close.

“I’m proud of you.” Waverly pressed a kiss to Nicole’s nose, her hands sliding over the front of the rep’s shoulders. 

Nicole’s heart lurched into her throat, and she swallowed hard. No-one had ever said those words to her. Ever. She brushed her nose over Waverly’s, feeling the prickle of tears burn behind her eyes. She blinked them back, those three unspoken words threatening to burst from her chest.

“Now...” Waverly smirked, her grip closing once more over Nicole’s tie, her eyes darkening. “Do you want my distraction, or not Haught?”

Nicole grinned as Waverly stepped back, the brunette’s grip on her tie pulling her to a stand. She felt her pulse quicken, heat coursing through her body as she allowed her girlfriend to lead her into the bedroom. Nicole kicked the door closed behind them, feeling her stomach flip at the dark fire in Waverly’s eyes as she pulled her in to kiss her. Those burning eyes didn’t leave hers as Waverly slowly began to undress her, her hands exploring the exposed skin with feather-light touches that raised goosebumps in their wake. Nicole’s fingers tingled as she repeated her girlfriend’s actions, stroking lightly over every inch of skin revealed as she removed the layers between her eyes and Waverly’s body. She gasped, the air forced from her lungs as Waverly pushed her back onto the bed, moving to crawl over her with gentle kisses and touches. She was tempted to resist; her muscles twitching with the urge to flip their positions and coax her own name from Waverly’s lips, but something in the brunette’s eyes was telling her to hold back. To let Waverly have her way.

“Roll over baby.”

The words were husked, Waverly’s voice hot against Nicole’s ear. She shivered, a little surprised at the request, but she was absolutely not in the headspace to deny Waverly anything she asked right now. She rolled over, crossing her arms under the pillows above her, her fingers gripping into the sheets as Waverly started to trail kisses, bites, and purposeful hands over her back. Nicole groaned, her muscles already squirming beneath the touches; her back peppered with major weak spots that drove her crazy. She could feel Waverly smirk against her skin as she mapped them out, paying particular attention to the spots that made the rep’s hips grind down into the mattress.

“ _Don’t move_.”

Nicole whimpered, clenching her fists into the sheets as Waverly’s touch disappeared, and she twisted her head to watch behind, brows furrowed in confusion. She sighed, straining her ears for clues as Waverly rummaged through her bag. She groaned, sinking her face back into the pillows in realization as her girlfriend skipped back into the room carrying a bottle of massage oil. She could already feel the goosebumps, her muscles twitching in anticipation as Waverly flipped the cap. This was definitely another first for Nicole, and the thought alone turned her on so much that she wasn’t sure she could cope. She exhaled slowly as Waverly’s hands began to spread the oil over her shoulders and her back, working the muscles under firm fingers. The brunette’s hands were like magic, and Nicole could feel the tension lifting almost instantly from her muscles. She couldn’t have hazarded a guess at how long Waverly’s hands worked their magic before they slipped down over her lower back, and she could no longer hold back the sounds that stuttered through her lips. She hadn’t realized how good this would feel, and the additional sensation of Waverly’s bare skin over her thighs as she straddled her was a lot to take.

As skilled hands worked their way over her ass, Nicole could feel the arousal that pooled between her thighs starting to intensify, and she instinctively moved to press them together, chasing any pressure that might relieve the burning tension. She groaned as Waverly’s hands ran down over her thighs, halting Nicole’s efforts to close them. The brunette’s palms pressed firmly, spreading Nicole’s legs further as she ran her hands up the insides, her fingertips _just_ missing the heat of the redhead’s core. Nicole bit back a whimper, her legs starting to tremble as Waverly’s teasing fingers brushed ever closer to where she needed them. She groaned loudly, rolling her hips into the mattress as Waverly pressed her body into the massage, her breasts following her hands as they slid up the back of her thighs, over her ass and up to her shoulders, the movement fluid. _Fuck._ Nicole could feel the hardened nipples pressed against her skin, and the deep ache between her thighs throbbed with heightened need. She bit down on the pillow, clenching her jaw over the material in an effort to keep herself from begging. 

Nicole blew out shaky breaths into the sheets as Waverly’s hands worked their way back down, her fingertips cupping the curve of her ass and brushing dangerously close once more to her center, before dropping down to the safer territory of her calves. She sighed, relief and disappointment mixing into the lust-filled haze in her mind.

“Roll over.”

The husky instruction repeated, and Nicole shivered yet again, fumbling quickly to do as the brunette asked. The fire in hazel eyes danced with mischief, and Nicole couldn’t help but smirk as Waverly moved to straddle her legs once more.

“You were right baby, this is _very_ distracting.” Nicole grinned, running her hands over the brunette’s thighs, the tanned skin glistening with oil.

“I’m only just getting started.” Waverly grinned, her tongue poking between her teeth as she winked.

Nicole shook her head, her arousal quickly overwhelming her again as her girlfriend’s hands traveled slowly over the front of her legs, the teasing fingers at the tops of her thighs feeling more torturous with Waverly’s eyes burning into her. She closed her eyes, her breaths stuttering and her glutes clenching as Waverly’s thumbs swept over her bikini line, her clit pulsing with the agonising proximity. Waverly’s hips rocked subtly over her thighs, and Nicole groaned as she felt the evidence of her girlfriend’s own arousal paint her skin. She clenched her fists, fighting the urge to claim Waverly as her own as the brunette’s hands massaged the oil into her hips and her abs, and the front of her shoulders. Nicole arched her back, her self-control slipping fast from her grip as Waverly’s hands slipped over her breasts, making a deliberate effort not to touch her nipples. Nicole’s skin was on fire, and she bit her lip, desperately trying not to beg Waverly to touch her. She threw her head back, urgent moans falling from her lips as the brunette finally swept her thumbs over the rep’s nipples, the oil making the easy friction feel incredible.

Nicole couldn’t tear her eyes from her girlfriend as she made her way back down her body, massaging firm circles over the tops of her thighs, her fingertips brushing her entrance so lightly it would barely be noticeable if she wasn’t _so_ unbearably turned on. She bit her lip, the plea growing ever harder to choke back as Waverly’s touch slowly grew firmer, teasing fingertips drawing Nicole to the edge of her sanity. She cried out, long and loud as Waverly _finally_ sank her finger into her core. She slammed her eyes shut, fighting not to come instantly, even as her hips arched into the touch. Everything about this felt incredible, and she wanted to drag it out as long as she could manage.

“Open your eyes, Nic.” Waverly’s low voice dripped with desire, and the sound alone made Nicole’s core clench hard around the brunette’s finger. “I want you to look at me.”

“Baby, I can’t, it-it’s too much.” Nicole whimpered, her eyes screwed tightly shut as she fought off the edge of her orgasm.

“I want you to watch me as you come baby.” Waverly’s smirk was audible in her voice, and she rolled her hips over Nicole’s thighs as she added a second finger.

Nicole forced her eyes open, her knuckles white over her grip on the sheets. The pleasure was overwhelming, the sweet burn of those fingers massaging inside her beyond delicious.

“Let go baby. We’ve got all night.” Waverly leaned forward, husking her words against the shell of Nicole’s ear.

The rep’s muscles squirmed against her will, every nerve in her body burning with pleasure. She could feel the shake of the bed as her limbs trembled. Waverly sat back, the fingers of her other hand moving to Nicole’s clit, and the redhead surrendered instantly, crashing headlong into the most intense orgasm she’d ever had. The climax claimed every muscle in her body, her throat burning with the guttural groans that erupted from her chest.

Nicole brought her hands to her face, the room spinning as she floated down from her high. She felt weightless, yet unable to move. She grinned lazily as Waverly moved her body to cover her own, the brunette’s weight grounding her. Nicole hooked a finger under Waverly’s chin, bringing her up to kiss her deeply. She wanted to say it. She wanted to tell her girlfriend that she loved her, but the fear was still too strong; the risk of ruining what she had still too terrifying, and so the words stayed locked in her kiss. When she finally pulled back, the words whispered into the brunette’s ear were the closest thing she could find without crossing into unsafe waters.

“Waverly Earp, you are _everything_.”

**********************************************************************************

Waverly threw her arms in the air, growling in frustration as the call rang to voicemail yet again. She knew her frustration was born of fear and concern, having been unable get hold of Nicole for hours. She’d been frantically worrying that she’d done something wrong, until Jeremy had hammered her door down looking for the redhead, who hadn’t shown up to lead their bar crawl as scheduled. He chewed his nails beside her now, his brows furrowed in the same concern that Waverly could feel twisting in her own stomach.

“I’m gonna have to go without her, Wave.” Jeremy’s voice was quiet, and he hovered, clearly apprehensive. “But I need you to find her... this isn’t something she’s ever done before.”

“I know Jer, it’s okay. I’m sure she’s fine, she’s probably just fallen asleep and her phone is on silent.” Waverly forced her voice to stay steady, hoping that if she could convince Jeremy to stay calm, then she could remain so herself. She knew this wasn’t like Nicole, and she was beginning to feel nauseous. “You go, and I’ll go to her apartment. I’ll find her.”

Jeremy nodded, pulling her in for a quick hug before he scurried off, checking his phone as he went. Waverly took a deep breath, gathered her things and headed out. She tried to call again as she raced over to the apartment, leaving a breathless voicemail for her girlfriend to call her back. With shaking fingers, she typed a text message. Any medium was worth a shot.

_Where are you Nic? x_

Reaching the apartment building, Waverly punched in the code, taking the stairs two at a time in her adrenaline fueled panic. She groaned, hammering against the door as she found it locked. Nicole wasn’t home. _Where the fuck was she?_ Maybe she’d forgotten the bar crawl? Gone out with friends? Waverly rested her head back against the door as she tried to compose herself. She didn’t want to harass Nicole if she was just busy, but something just didn’t feel right. Her heart leapt into her throat as her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she scrambled to pull the message up on her screen.

_At the beach in the cove. I’m sorry baby. x_

Waverly exhaled heavily and closed her eyes, letting the relief push the adrenaline from her muscles before she made her way hastily down the stairs. The beach was a ten minute walk from Nicole’s apartment, and her legs couldn’t carry her fast enough. Nicole was safe, but it still felt a lot like she wasn’t okay. She slowed her pace as she finally reached the cove, trying to let her breathing level out. If Nicole wasn’t okay, then she would need Waverly to be calm. She took a deep breath, shaking her fingers to expel the tension as she stepped out onto the sand.

She spotted her girlfriend immediately, hunched over as she sat looking out at the ocean, her knees pulled up to her chin. She looked so small that Waverly’s heart sank, and she felt her chest tighten as she picked her way across the sand. The rep looked up as she sat down beside her, wiping her eyes hurriedly with the back of her hand. Waverly wrapped her arms around her instantly, feeling her chest clench hard as she took in her girlfriend’s red, swollen eyes, and her tear stained cheeks.

“I’ve got you, baby.” Waverly whispered, holding her arms tight around the rep’s shoulders, feeling Nicole’s chest heave as she sobbed, burying her face into the crook of her neck.

“I didn’t get in.” Nicole’s voice was so small; so soft, so brittle, so broken, and Waverly’s heart sank and her chest ached as she felt the tears falling down onto her shoulders. “To Ontario. I didn’t get in.”

“Nic...” Waverly whispered. She felt Nicole’s pain in her own chest, and she took a shaky breath as she readied herself to do whatever she could to take it away.

“What if I don’t get in to any of them, Wave?” Nicole pulled back, her watery eyes finding Waverly’s for the first time. “All my life I’ve clung to this dream, telling myself that one day I’ll chase it. What if I chase it and I miss? What do I cling to then?”

“One rejection is not a miss, Nicole.” Waverly pulled her girlfriend closer, cupping her cheek with her hand to catch the tears with her thumb. “Baby, _one hundred_ rejections is not a miss. You are strong, you’re smart, you’re brave and you will make one hell of a cop. You pick yourself up, you ask where you went wrong, and you work on those things for next time.”

Waverly searched Nicole’s dark eyes as she spoke, watching for the return of the determined resolve that she knew was in there. She believed every word she spoke, and she needed Nicole to believe them too.

“You don’t only get one shot at this, Nic.”

She brushed her thumbs again over the tears that tracked Nicole’s cheeks, and she kissed away a lone drop that trailed over the end of the rep’s nose. She felt her heart clench as her actions elicited the first pull of a soft smile at the corners of her girlfriend’s lips.

“Besides.” She smiled softly as she continued. “You interviewed for two other academies. You can’t win them all... but you’re gonna win _some_ , Nicole. Don’t give up hope just because the first hurdle was the hardest.”

Nicole’s eyes searched her face, the soft smile still toying subtly at the corners of her lips and the flow of tears seeming to stem slowly. Waverly smiled as the rep closed her eyes for a moment, pressing her forehead against her own. She let out a shaky exhale of her own. She knew it wasn’t appropriate, but she couldn’t help the feeling of relief that niggled in the back of her mind. Relief for what? That Nicole wouldn’t be going to Ontario? Or that it wasn’t Edmonton that had rejected her? _Both_. She swallowed hard, pushing the feelings down. Above anything, she wanted Nicole to be happy, and to chase her dreams. Relief over this was nothing but selfish, and she needed to keep her feelings in check.

Waverly’s stomach flipped as Nicole kissed her, softly at first, but quickly becoming more passionate. She could feel something in the movement of the rep’s lips that reflected her own feelings, and she felt her heart beat faster at the thought. Nicole’s kiss felt a lot like love, and she was starting to dare to let herself hope. When the rep finally pulled back, her eyes shone a little more than they had before, and she smiled as she pulled Waverly into her side, wrapping her arm around her shoulders.

“Can we just sit and watch the ocean for a while?” Nicole murmured, her voice still soft, but the words less broken.

“Anything.” Waverly linked her fingers through Nicole’s, bringing them to her lips to kiss them before nestling in close beside her, wrapping her arm around her waist.

They sat in comfortable silence, Waverly listening to her girlfriend’s breathing slowly evening out under the steady crash of the waves. The sunset was beautiful, and the silence only seemed to make the colours brighter, and Nicole’s embrace feel warmer. Soft sounds from behind them started to weave their way through the tranquil, and Nicole pulled back, twisting her head to find the source, her brows furrowed. She glanced at Waverly, and the brunette shrugged, her own brows knitting as the sounds started to get louder. Human sounds. Moans.

“Wait, is that...?” Nicole’s eyes shot wide, her jaw dropping, the corners tugging into a laugh as the sounds became clearer.

“Oh my _god_... ssshh.” Waverly covered her mouth, trying desperately to stifle her giggles.

Both froze, their eyes scanning the beach behind them, bodies shaking as they tried not to laugh loudly. Nicole gestured towards the end of the beach and Waverly nodded. They needed to get out before things got too awkward. They stumbled up, picking their way across the now dimly lit beach, wincing as the sounds seemed to get closer.

Waverly squealed, flailing as she tripped over something lying across her path, Nicole’s arms grasping at her waist as she tried to keep her upright. The moaning sounds morphed into shouts of panic and irritation, and the voice instantly became familiar to Waverly’s ears.

“ _Wynonna_?” Waverly scrambled back, squinting at the owner of the leg she’d thrown herself so unceremoniously over. “Oh _shit_ my eyes!”

“Dolls.” Nicole nodded in greeting to her friend, biting her lip to suppress her smirk as she backed away, pulling Waverly with her.

“Have a good night Babygirl...” Wynonna’s embarrassed voice rang out across the beach, and Waverly cringed, slapping Nicole’s arm as the rep’s laughter peeled through the air.

“You can shut up, or you’re not getting any tonight.”

**********************************************************************************

Nicole bit her nails as she sat cross legged on the wall of the pool bar. She had five minutes until her welcome meeting, and she’d told herself she wouldn’t refresh her email app until after the meeting, but the nerves were all-consuming and she couldn’t focus on anything else. She bounced her knees, nervous energy coursing through her entire body, and she pushed the phone into her bag where she couldn’t see it. Couldn’t be tempted. She stood, pacing up and down alongside the wall, her agitation growing as she glanced again at the clock overhead. Four minutes. Ugh. _Fuck it._

She pulled the phone back from her bag, her fingers shaking as she opened the app. She felt her heart lurch into her throat, and she turned her back on Jeremy as the app told her she had two new mails. Southwest Florida Public Service Academy. Edmonton Police College. She swallowed hard, cursing her poor self-control. If she didn’t open them now, there was no way she was getting through this meeting. But if she did, and they held bad news... she shuddered, closing her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she pressed her thumb over the first email. Southwest Florida Public Service Academy. She scanned the words, her hands shaking. Her jaw dropped, hot adrenaline rushing through every nerve ending as their meaning processed in her brain. _She was in._ She laughed, jumping on the spot as she reread the words. _Ten years._ She’d done it. She’d made the first step to reaching her lifelong dream. She swallowed thickly as she read the subject line of the second mail. Edmonton Police College. _Waverly._ This would be everything. She let out a shaky breath, hovering her thumb over the second mail for a brief moment, before finally dragging the message up on her screen.

Adrenaline surged through her veins, every nerve ending trembling as she jumped the wall, ignoring Jeremy’s bewildered calls of her name as she hurried down towards Waverly’s spot along the poolside. The brunette stood up, her eyes widening as Nicole rushed towards her, enveloping her in her arms and swinging her around.

“I GOT IN!”

“Oh my GOD baby, _where?_ ” Waverly pulled back, her eyes wide with pride and excitement as she searched Nicole’s face.

“I got into both places Wave.” Nicole laughed as she spoke, disbelief and astonishment mixing with pride and elation as the meaning started to truly sink in.

“Nicole, I am so unbelievably proud of you.” Waverly pulled her in to kiss her, not caring about the uniform or the guests around them. Her voice was softer when she spoke again, laced with something that sounded a little like uncertainty. “So Florida... and Edmonton?”

Nicole nodded softly. She searched Waverly’s eyes, the look in them unfamiliar to her. She was euphoric; so overly excited at the prospect of a future that could include both Waverly and her police dreams, but she couldn’t decipher the look on her girlfriend’s face, and fear started to lace its way through her thoughts.

“Where are you going to go?”

Waverly’s voice was so small that Nicole’s heart sank. This was a look she _could_ decipher, and it looked a lot like fear. The last thing that Nicole wanted to do in this moment was to scare Waverly, or to make her feel pressured, and she panicked, searching her mind for a way to reassure the brunette that the ball was fully in her court.

“Well... I-I guess I haven’t really thought about it.” Nicole winced. The lie felt acidic in her mouth, and she closed her eyes briefly. She needed to know. She needed Waverly to give her something that would tell her where her mind was at. Anxiety gripped in her chest, and her mind clouded, the words jumbling as she fought her brain for a way to prompt Waverly to express her feelings. “I-I guess it doesn’t matter either way... does it?”

The silence felt nauseating as Waverly pulled back, the space between them leaving an unsettling feeling in Nicole’s stomach. The brunette’s eyes clouded with something the rep couldn’t read, and she felt her stomach twist as the quiet words left her girlfriend’s lips.

“I-I guess not.”

Nicole’s chest tightened, and the tears stung behind her eyes. It didn’t matter. How could she have read this all so wrong? She heard Jeremy’s voice calling her, and she turned her head back towards him, needing to break the painful tension that lay so suddenly between her and the woman she’d fallen for. She cleared her throat, blinking back the tears as she turned to face Waverly again.

“I have to go. I’ll see you around.”


	11. Paradise Made

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wrapping it up guys! One more to go, and I'll have it to you this week!
> 
> You've all been so amazing, thank you for your comments on every chapter. Getting me through this lockdown with a smile on my face!
> 
> Let me know what you think =)

Waverly watched as Nicole started her meeting, something hardened in her face that seemed unfamiliar. She didn’t understand. She’d been so sure that Nicole felt the same way that she did, and something seemed so off in the way that she’d spoken just then. Like her eyes contradicted her words. Waverly knew she’d fallen in love, and she didn’t want this to end. She’d fought so hard to tell herself that it wouldn’t matter if the redhead didn’t see things the same way, but the pain that settled in her chest now told her she hadn’t succeeded. Never could have done. She’d been so sure that the feeling was mutual. She knew that Nicole needed to build her life; to find the home she’d always wanted, and she felt humiliated for thinking that she could have been that home. Or she should have done, but she couldn’t quite shake the feeling that she still could be. Something had flipped so suddenly. _Too_ suddenly, when this had felt so right and so mutual.

“What’s the matter Babygirl?”

Wynonna’s voice startled her and she spun, turning to face her friends as they reached the poolside, all three having woken later than she had. Waverly sat down on the lounger beside her sister, fighting back the tears.

“I... I think Nicole just told me she doesn’t want a future together.” Waverly heard the break in her own voice, her inferred meaning hitting her hard in her chest.

Wynonna sat up, lifting her sunglasses above her head as she turned to Waverly, her brows furrowed.

“She said that?” Wynonna’s voice was questioning, the tone clearly skeptical, and it set the feelings of doubt crawling in Waverly’s stomach.

“Well no, not specifically, but...” Waverly trailed off, her brain clouding as she tried to piece together what had happened.

“You love her right?” Wynonna quirked an eyebrow, her straight laced voice only deepening the confusion in Waverly’s mind.

“Yeah...” Waverly whispered, shrugging her shoulders, a blush creeping over her neck. This was the first time she’d admitted that out loud, and it made her entire body feel warm.

“Does she know that?”

“No...” Waverly winced, dropping her eyes to the floor. Wynonna’s gaze was steely; almost as though she was being reprimanded, and she couldn’t help but squirm underneath it.

“Fucking hell.” Wynonna rolled her eyes, leaning back against the sunbed. “Since I’m pretty sure I haven’t hit my head and woken up in a parallel universe, you are gonna need to explain to me exactly what happened so that I can tell you all the places in which you both behaved like useless gays, and point out all the clues that should have told you just how wrong you are right now. Go.”

**********************************************************************************

Nicole could feel Wynonna’s piercing glare burning into the side of her face as she wrapped up her meeting, and she couldn’t help but feel irritated. She took a deep breath, steeling her face before turning to head towards the brunette. She was feeling nauseous, her chest felt tight, and she needed to get out of here before the tears forced their way out, and this was the last thing she needed.

“Haughty, we’re going for a drink.” Wynonna clapped her hand over the back of Nicole’s shoulder, pushing her in to walk alongside her before she had a chance to speak.

“Wynonna it’s 10am, and I really don’t have time for...”

“Brunch then, and I don’t give a fuck, you’re coming with me.” Wynonna’s tone was sharp enough to halt Nicole’s words in their tracks, but her lips pulled at a smirk, and her eyes were considerably softer than her voice would suggest.

Nicole opened her mouth to argue, but a cocked eyebrow and a pointed glare from the brunette made her think better of it, and she rolled her eyes as she reluctantly followed Wynonna out of the hotel grounds. She glanced behind her for Waverly, her heart sinking as she spotted her girlfriend’s lounger empty. Wynonna was quiet as they made their way along the street, and Nicole’s stomach started to crawl with nerves. She sighed heavily, tripping over her own feet to keep up with the brunette as she suddenly crossed the quiet street, heading towards a small café bar, already busy despite the early hour.

“Wynonna, why am I here?” Nicole didn’t even try to hide the irritation and the impatience from her voice as Wynonna led her to the bar, waving the bartender over with her index finger. She just needed to be alone, and most definitely _not_ in a sticky bar before lunchtime.

“You’re here, Haught-shit, so that you can explain to me why my baby sister seems to believe that you view your relationship as a short term thing that you can take or leave.” Wynonna dragged herself up onto a bar stool, turning to face Nicole, eyebrows raised as she continued. “Because I really can’t see how that’s happened, as I have _eyes_ , and I can see that you’re as head over heels in love as she is.”

“Wait, _what?_ ” Nicole furrowed her brows, her blood running cold, her stomach sinking. Why would she think that?

“She thinks you don’t see her as a factor in your academy decisions.” Wynonna slid a beer along the bar towards Nicole, the rep wincing at the smell of the bitter liquid so early in the day. The brunette raised an eyebrow as she spoke, her gaze challenging Nicole.

“What? She’s the _only_ factor in my decision! But she said it didn’t matter where I went, so I thought...” Nicole ran her hands over her face as she trailed off, snippets of her conversation with Waverly tangling through her mind, the haze of confusion making it hard to pick out where things had gone wrong.

“ _Did_ she say that Haught, or did _you_?” Wynonna pressed, her eyes boring into Nicole’s.

“No! No, I...” Nicole scrunched her face at the question, confused momentarily by the accusation before she trailed off, groaning as the pieces finally clicked into place, her heart sinking as she understood where she’d gone wrong. “Oh _shit._ ”

Fuck, that was _not_ what she had meant. She’d only wanted to give Waverly the opportunity to voice her own opinions, but her nerves and her fears had gotten the better of her and she clearly had achieved the exact opposite to her intentions.

“You’re an idiot.” Wynonna clapped her between the shoulders, chuckling softly, eliciting another groan from the rep.

“Fuck, I’m _such_ an idiot.” Nicole dropped her forehead to the bar, the flush of embarrassment creeping over her skin.

“Yep. But you’re an idiot who should be with my sister. Now go fix it.” Wynonna shoved Nicole’s shoulder, laughing openly as the rep dragged herself to her feet, her eyes wide with embarrassment. “And remember Haught... spine through your face...”

“Yeah...” Nicole grimaced, a shy grin spreading across her face as she caught Wynonna’s eye. “Thanks Earp.”

The twitch of adrenaline spurred Nicole’s movements as she rushed from the bar, and she huffed out a laugh of disbelief, shaking her head at her own stupidity. She should have just been honest. She’d never have pressured Waverly, and she should have just trusted that that would have been clear enough in her honesty. She had some real grovelling to do, and she knew it. She grinned, her mind working in overdrive as she considered her options, crossing the street and heading towards the printing shop she knew to be two streets over.

**********************************************************************************

Heavy hammering on the door startled Waverly from her slump, and she hurriedly wiped her eyes on the corner of the bed sheets. She’d told her friends she wasn’t feeling well, and had spent the last hour holed up in her room letting the tears fall freely. She sniffed, dragging herself from the bed as the hammering hit again, and she brushed the creases from the over-sized t shirt she’d thrown on over her bikini. She took a deep breath, irritation threatening to surge as the door hammered again. She’d told Wynonna she’d be down when she was ready!

She threw open the door, opening her mouth to berate her sister, freezing as she came face to face with a rather sheepish looking Nicole Haught. She folded her arms, dropping her eyes to the floor. She knew, on some level, that things weren’t the way they had seemed in that conversation, but she couldn’t help the stubborn kick that held her back up, pushing her to make Nicole work to fix this.

“I... Wave...” Nicole’s voice pleaded as she took a step towards the door, the sorrow in her tone breaking the brunette’s resolve just enough for Waverly to glance up at the rep’s face as she continued. “I am a fucking idiot, Waverly.”

Waverly’s breath caught in her throat. Nicole looked so vulnerable, her wide eyes searching her own. She dropped her eyes, noticing for the first time the words printed across the front of Nicole’s t shirt. Edmonton Police College. She furrowed her brows, shooting her eyes back to meet the rep’s anxious mocha gaze.

“What is that...?” She waved her hand towards the t shirt, wincing at how small her voice sounded.

Her heart pounded. It was pretty clear what the words across the shirt were supposed to mean, but the pain that still thudded in her chest was too raw, and she needed her girlfriend to spell it out. She swallowed thickly as the corners of Nicole’s lips tugged into a hopeful smile, and a blush tinted her cheeks.

“Waves, I accepted the place in Edmonton.” Nicole stepped closer, her voice shaky with obvious nerves, but her eyes nothing but warm as they focused on Waverly’s. “I was always going to. I start in January.”

“Wh-why were you always going to? What about Florida?” Waverly dropped her arms, her own lips curling slightly as she felt her resolve crumble. She bit back her smile, all too aware that her eyes would betray her feelings anyway. She knew the answer, but she’d been waiting for weeks to hear the words and she wasn’t going to let Nicole win until they left her lips.

Nicole grinned, shrugging her shoulders, winking at Waverly as she turned around, displaying the back of her shirt. Waverly laughed openly, her resolve plummeting through the floor, her heart rate soaring as she reached her hand forward to trace the letters over the back of the shirt. _Wayhaught._ She shook her head, her eyes misting as Nicole turned back to face her with a grin, taking her hands and pulling her closer.

“I love you, Waverly.” Nicole’s voice was low, the tone almost hoarse as the confession consumed the air around them. Her mocha eyes flickered with the sincerity of her statement, and she flashed a soft, dimpled smile as she wrapped her arms around Waverly’s waist.

Waverly exhaled hard, her eyes widening as she searched Nicole’s face, finding nothing but honesty. She grinned, an overwhelming wave of emotions washing over her; relief, wonder, admiration, _love_. She ran her fingers along the hem of the t shirt, then up over the letters and onto Nicole’s shoulders, her grin growing wider as she closed the gap between them.

“You really are an idiot, Haught.” She chuckled, brushing her nose over Nicole’s as the rep’s cheeks reddened once more. “But I love you too.”

“What?” Nicole whispered, pulling back slightly to search Waverly’s face, her eyes widening in astonishment.

“I love you too.” Waverly repeated, her hands cupping Nicole’s jaw as she spoke, her lips curled in a soft smirk.

Nicole was silent for a moment, her lips parted, a lopsided grin taking its place slowly across her face. Waverly laughed softly, watching as her words took their place behind her girlfriend’s eyes, and the deep mocha shone brighter with the realization.

“Say it again.” Nicole grinned cheekily, her dimples somehow even more adorable under her wonder-struck eyes.

Waverly beamed, wrapping her arms around Nicole’s neck to pull her close, feeling the heavy pounding of her girlfriend’s heart against her own chest.

“ _I love you_ , Nicole Haught.” Waverly grinned, pulling her girlfriend into a passion fueled kiss, breaking apart with a chuckle only when the rep’s smile grew too wide. She tugged on the neck of the shirt, smirking as she spoke. “And I’m stealing this.”

“ _Oh_ , do you want it now?” Nicole quirked her eyebrow, smirking as she moved to pull the shirt up over her stomach.

“Ah-ah...” Waverly giggled, halting the shirt’s progress with her hands. “In a minute, Prince Charming, we aren’t done talking.”

Nicole grinned, dropping the shirt back over her stomach and planting a kiss on her girlfriend’s cheek. Waverly laughed, the overjoyed energy bouncing from the rep making her own knees feel weak with bliss. It was beyond adorable how happy Nicole seemed to be to have heard Waverly confess her feelings, and it only served to make her love her more. She took the rep’s hands, pulling her into the room, pushing the door closed behind them. She pushed Nicole back onto the edge of the bed, taking a few steps backwards. She wanted to lay everything out between them; to ensure they had no more room for misunderstandings, and she knew she wouldn’t say everything she needed to if she didn’t put some physical distance between them. Nicole furrowed her brows, her eyes wide with anticipation as she waited for Waverly to speak.

“I’ve been thinking...” Waverly sat back on the edge of the dresser, bringing herself to Nicole’s eye level as she spoke. “About my love for learning. I figure that maybe it doesn’t need to be a ticket to anything. The University offers a PHD programe in Calgary, and my professors this year were keen for me to consider it. I-I think I’m gonna apply. I think I want to be a lecturer.”

“Baby that is _incredible_!” The proud excitement in Nicole’s voice shot through Waverly’s veins, and she gripped onto the edge of the dresser as her knees weakened yet again.

“I didn’t want to say anything before, because I... well I was preparing myself to follow you, baby.” Waverly blushed, meeting Nicole’s eyes shyly, her words growing softer as she reached her admission.

Nicole’s dimples popped in full force, and Waverly chuckled at the bewildered, doting look on her girlfriend’s face as the rep stood, no longer able to keep the distance between them.

“Well, now you don’t have to.” Nicole stepped between Waverly’s legs, bringing her hand to cup the brunette’s jaw gently, her thumb stroking over her cheek. “I’ll be a couple of hours away for six months, and then...”

“Then what?” Waverly furrowed her brows, fear jolting through her as the thought crossed her mind. She hadn’t considered what would happen beyond the training. Nicole could be posted anywhere, and then she could be left finishing her PHD with hundreds of miles between them.

Nicole shrugged, cocking her head to the side with a grin. The gesture was instantly reassuring to Waverly; something in the determined glint in dark eyes, and the nonchalant shrug that stated that this was easy. Simple, in her girlfriend’s mind.

“Where you go, I go.”

Nicole’s voice was soft, her eyes earnest, and Waverly couldn’t help but surge forwards, tears of overwhelming emotion welling in her eyes as she kissed her girlfriend urgently. Nicole pulled back, and Waverly whimpered, gripping the material of the t shirt between her fingers, holding the rep close to her.

“When would your PHD start?” Nicole’s fingers slipped underneath the hem of Waverly’s t shirt as she spoke, her nails scratching lightly over her thighs.

“Either September or January. Probably January by the time I’ve sorted the applications.” Waverly shuddered, goosebumps breaking over her skin under her girlfriend’s touch.

“Well, you wanted to see the world, right?” Nicole smirked, pulling Waverly’s legs around her waist as she nudged the brunette’s nose with her own.

Waverly nodded, her brows furrowed in hazy confusion, her grip on the t shirt tightening, her legs holding Nicole in place.

“So...” Nicole wrapped her arms back around Waverly’s waist, pulling her flush against her body. She grinned, eager eyes fixed on hazel. “What do you say we take the long way home?”

Waverly’s eyebrows shot up, gleeful excitement taking over her as she realized what the rep was suggesting.

“Like, say...” She grinned, sliding her hands up over Nicole’s shoulders to tangle in her hair. “The _really_ long way home?”

Nicole nodded, smirking as she lifted Waverly’s weight up onto her waist, turning to carry her towards the bed.

“I was thinking like, the ‘six months, as much of the world as we can cram in’, way home.” Nicole grinned widely as she lowered Waverly down on the bed, her hands trailing her sides as she dropped her own body over her, slotting her thigh between the brunette’s legs.

“Sounds like a dream.” Waverly husked, tracing the redhead’s parted lips with her thumb, arousal pooling between her thighs as the rep’s tongue darted out to tease the pad. She bit her lip, wrapping her legs tighter around her girlfriend’s waist. “I love you, _Officer Haught_.”

Nicole chuckled, but Waverly didn’t miss the dark flash of her eyes at the use of the name, and she smirked, pocketing that one for much more frequent use. Her smug smirk dropped, her back arching as the whispered response over her pulse point connected straight to her core.

“I love you too... _Professor Earp_.”

**********************************************************************************

Florida Keys had been a haven for Nicole Haught for over nine years, and the excitement that hummed in the air around her as she stood in the airport felt somewhat bittersweet. She’d made her goodbyes to the few she called real friends; promises to Doc, Dolls, Rosita and Mercedes that she would return to visit them when she could. Jeremy was here at the airport, Robin’s head across his lap as they lounged around. The rest of the group didn’t fly home until tomorrow evening, and they’d all insisted on being here. This world; these people; this job – they had saved Nicole’s life, and she could never look back on any of it with anything but fondness. But Waverly had helped her to learn who she really was, and nothing would ever feel the same again. She felt unbridled excitement when she thought of the future they had laid before them now, and the things that they would both achieve.

Nicole twirled the drawstring of her heavy rucksack between her fingers, her mind swimming as she reflected on everything that had changed this summer. Everything that would change from here on out. Arrangements had been made for the rest of her things to be shipped to the Earp’s Homestead, and stored in the barn until she returned to Canada. She grinned, her heart fluttering as she cast her eyes to her girlfriend, eagerly laying out their travel plans for the umpteenth time to her quietly amused friends. Nicole had had their route marked across a world map, printed onto the front of a notepad for Waverly, and the brunette was clutching it tightly now, having refused to stash it in her bag.

“So the first stop is Cuba, and it’s gonna be all music and colour and rum and cigars! Then we’re going into South America, and I can’t wait to see Rio, and we’ve booked an Amazon trip, and then Argentina where there’s so many churches and cathedrals, and we’re gonna do the road to El Chalten!”

Waverly was waving her hands enthusiastically, pointing each stop out on the cover of the notepad. Nicole bit her lip, warmth filling her chest as she listened to her girlfriend’s excited rambling. Planning this trip with Waverly had been hours of post-it notes on a huge map tacked across her apartment wall; the brunette scrupulously poring through internet pages and brochures and her own historical knowledge to pick out the places she wanted to go. Every moment had been painstakingly glorious, and Nicole had fallen more in love every minute with the animated spark in her girlfriend’s eyes.

“Then after that, we’re gonna do Tanzania, then Egypt and there’s so much _history_ there! Then _Europe_. I can’t _wait_ for Europe. Rome and Athens and London and Paris and Madrid, _so_ much culture. Then Thailand and Vietnam, then to Australia, and then we will be home just in time for Christmas.”

Waverly froze, her fists clenching in enthusiasm as the tannoy called their flight through to security, and she jumped up, bouncing towards Nicole, shimmying her hips with an excited squeal. Nicole chuckled, pulling her into her arms and spinning her around, pressing a kiss to her forehead as she set her down. Waverly kissed her cheek, squealing once more before she bounded off to make her goodbyes. Nicole turned to face Jeremy, grinning as she pulled her best friend into a crushing hug.

“I’m gonna miss you dude. Thank you for being the best friend I’ve ever had. I promise to see you again when I can.”

She quirked an eyebrow as Jeremy pulled back, his lips curled into a sheepish smile as he shrugged.

“I er... I’ll be seeing you sooner than you think, Haught.” He grinned, his eyes sparkling. “I took a job teaching Science in Calgary. I’m moving later in the fall. I can’t let this guy slip through my fingers can I, dude?”

Nicole beamed, her eyes widening. She hadn’t second-guessed her decision to leave Florida once, but hearing that her best friend would be making the same move was more reassuring than she could have anticipated, and she felt relief and gratitude in every nerve of her body at the realization that he’d be there with her.

“Besides.” Jeremy shrugged. “You’re the best friend I’ve ever had too. I’m not letting you leave me behind.”

Nicole laughed openly, shaking her head as she pulled Jeremy back in to hug him again.

“I’ll see you on the other side in six months then Chetri.” She grinned. “I love you dude.”

Nicole turned to the rest of the group just as Wynonna finished making her goodbyes to Waverly, smirking as she approached the redhead. Nicole furrowed her brows as Wynonna pushed a folded sheet of paper into her hands.

“Just some places in Europe that will earn you some brownie points.” Wynonna winked with a grin, and Nicole laughed, shaking her head as she pushed the paper into her pocket. Wynonna shuffled her feet, her stance slightly awkward as her eyes met Nicole’s. “And, Haught... thank you. I er... I can’t think of anyone I’d rather see my baby sister with.” She cleared her throat, her smirk playful as Nicole grinned. “But I stand by what I said...”

“ _Yeah_ , yeah... spine through my face...” Nicole shuddered, laughing as she pulled Wynonna into a brief hug. “See you at Christmas, Earp.”

Nicole made her goodbyes to Robin and Chrissy, turning back towards Waverly as the tannoy made its second call.

“Nicole...”

She felt a hand on her arm, turning back to find Chrissy holding out a piece of paper, a number scrawled across it. She furrowed her brows, pursing her lips in question.

“Has Waverly ever told you that my Dad is the Sheriff in Purgatory?” She grinned as Nicole’s eyes widened and she shook her head. “Give me a call when you’re in the academy, okay?”

Nicole grinned, mouthing her thanks to Chrissy, waving once more at the group she was starting to see as family. She exhaled slowly, turning her eyes to Waverly with a dimpled grin. She felt her knees weaken at the emotion shining in the brunette’s eyes, before taking the hand of the love her life, and heading through the gates that led to both of their dreams.


	12. Paradise Conquered (Epilogue)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know some of you were hoping for a sequel! I don't currently have a sequel planned, but this final chapter has been written deliberately to hold enough gaps to allow me to write various one or two shot follow ons if I decide to, but to close enough ties if I choose not to. We shall see ;)
> 
> Thank you so much for your support with this fic, I'm so glad that you're still reading! Thank you for your comments and kudos!
> 
> Much love!

“I dunno, Haught-shit, I think it suits you.”

Wynonna ran her finger along the chipped, lime-green kitchen counter, her eyes scanning the sixties style patterned walls. Nicole grimaced, shuddering at the prospect of touching anything in the grease covered room around her.

“Wynonna, it’s got a toilet in the kitchen.” She screwed her nose up in disgust as she glanced towards the corner of the room, where a change in floor tiles represented the only barrier between the kitchen, and a toilet and basin set.

“I see no better way to multitask!” Wynonna shrugged, leaning back against the kitchen counter.

“Remind me never to eat anything you cook.” Nicole murmured, turning back to face the brunette as Wynonna grinned.

“Oh come on, it can’t be worse than some of the hostels you stayed in on your globe trot?” Wynonna smirked, her playful intent to wind the redhead up carrying clear in her voice.

“Right!” Nicole raised her eyebrows, brushing past Wynonna in the cramped space to move into the apartment’s living room. “And I wouldn’t live in those either!”

“Haught, you’ve spent six months travelling three hours several times a week to bang my sister in a run-down barn full of boxes of your shit, this is practically a palace in comparison.” Wynonna followed her through, chuckling as the redhead visibly recoiled at the way her feet stuck to the patchy brown carpet.

“First of all...” Nicole shook her head and crossed her arms, her own lips pulling into a smirk at the brunette’s words. “It’s only _in_ the barn because _someone_ kept hammering the bedroom walls down...”

“They’re _too_ thin, and she is _too_ loud!” Wynonna shot back, closing her eyes, a grimace crossing her face as some clearly unsettling memories passed through her mind.

“And secondly.” Nicole’s voice softened, and she dropped her arms to her side. “That is precisely why this has to be right. I want the place we find to be a _home_ , Wynonna. One that Waverly will love too.”

“Remind me again...” Wynonna’s face contorted as she glanced around the room, as if seeing it in a new light as she considered her friend’s words. “If you want Waverly to love this so much then why isn’t _she_ here, and why am I sneaking around with you behind my baby sister’s back?”

“Please _never_ phrase it like that again.” Nicole winced, shooting a pointed glare in Wynonna’s direction. “And _because_ , I want to surprise her. She’s been so worried about where I’ll end up, and I just want to have all the pieces in place before I tell her.”

“Hmmm.” Wynonna nodded, her lips pursed as she wandered the room, halting at the window, her eyebrows raising. “Well I still think this is the one, I mean just look at the view.”

Nicole furrowed her brows, picking her way across the sticky floor to stand beside Wynonna. She squinted, both women leaning closer to the smudge-stained glass as they studied the sight that met them in the building’s car park.

“Is she _sleeping_ , or...?” Nicole trailed off, swallowing thickly. “ _What_ is that stain on the mattress?”

“I’m gonna call it beer and turn a blind eye.” Wynonna chuckled, stepping back from the window as Nicole exhaled slowly.

“Turns out the kitchen toilet might be the best feature.” Nicole laughed, planting her hands on the back of Wynonna’s shoulders as she pushed her towards the door.

“Next place?” Wynonna grinned.

Nicole nodded, lifting her hand in an awkward wave to the disinterested lettings agent hovering in the hallway outside the apartment.

“Next place.”

**********************************************************************************

Waverly sighed, glancing up at the clock as she wiped down the bar at Shorty’s. Her shift ended in just a few minutes, and she couldn’t wait to get out of there. Luckily it hadn’t been too busy, and she’d been able to shoo the last of the patrons out easily enough. She’d not picked any shifts up at all whilst she’d been studying her PHD, but as the University had broken for summer, she was back behind the bar to help out her aunt.

She checked her phone, disappointed to find no messages or missed calls from Nicole. She missed her girlfriend. The redhead hadn’t been able to get to her much these past couple of weeks, the last leg of her academy training having been more grueling than usual, and with Waverly’s Shorty’s shifts, she hadn’t been able to get out to Edmonton. She’d not seen her girlfriend in ten days, and she was really starting to struggle, physically feeling the missing piece in her chest. She felt uneasy. Nicole had been a little shifty the last couple of times she’d visited; whispered phone conversations, and pointed looks with Wynonna. She’d twice appeared at the homestead at the same time as her sister, whereas usually Waverly would have picked her up from the station. She always waved it off whenever Waverly questioned her, and nothing felt off between them, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was happening. She couldn’t help but worry that it was linked to Nicole’s graduation, and what was next for her. The academy ending was their next hurdle. Nicole could be stationed anywhere and Waverly wanted to follow, but she had to complete her doctorate first, and she hated the idea of an even bigger distance being put between them.

She sighed, pushing her phone into her pocket and turning her attention back to the bar. She changed the keg she knew she’d emptied towards the end of her shift, flicking the tap to run the air out. She squealed, frantically trying to stop the flow of liquid as the tap burst, beer spurting out over her chest and her shirt.

“I didn’t know Shorty’s had wet t shirt competitions.”

Waverly started, the familiar voice making her heart rate soar. She shot her eyes to the door, her muscles freezing and her breath catching in her throat as she took in the sight that awaited her. Nicole leant in the doorway of the bar, the fitted blue shirt and the black, lined slacks of the Purgatory Sheriff’s Department uniform hugging tight over her curves. A heavy duty belt lined her waist, and her thumbs hooked behind it as she rested her hands on the thick leather. Waverly swallowed thickly, her mind working in overdrive as it tried to pick apart the confusion, the excitement, the anticipation and the overwhelming arousal that tangled together, seemingly rendering her tongue useless.

“Wh...” Waverly blinked, unable to comprehend where to even start with the questions that filled her brain. Did this mean she was working here? _God_ she looked good. What was happening?

“Baby?” Nicole raised an eyebrow, her grin bordering on smug as she took a step forwards, her movement seeming to snap Waverly’s brain into focus.

“I-I have _so_ many questions...” Waverly moved towards the end of the bar, letting her eyes roam her girlfriend’s body shamelessly, grinning as she flicked her gaze back to the mischievous glint in mocha eyes.

Nicole smirked, her hips moving with an unfairly cocky swagger as she made her way towards Waverly, her dark eyes fixed on her girlfriend’s gaze.

“Are you gonna ask them?” She winked, her tone teasing as she reached the brunette, closing the gap between them.

“Yeah...” Waverly whispered, immediately trailing off.

Nicole’s proximity was fast sending her brain back into the stunned haze it had been in moments before, and she was instantly distracted by the overwhelming urge to touch the woman she’d missed for over a week. She ran her hands over the uniform shirt, her eyes widening as she took in the shiny metal pin reading Nicole’s name. She bit her lip, trailing her fingers over the duty belt, pulling her girlfriend’s hips flush against her own.

“I missed you.” Nicole’s hushed tones broke Waverly’s trance, and the redhead hooked a finger under her chin, lifting her face to connect their lips in a soft, lingering kiss.

“I missed you too...” Waverly sighed, her earlier tension quickly easing under her girlfriend’s touch. She pulled back, shaking her head to clear the haze as her curiosity finally got the better of her lust. “What...?”

“I got a job, baby.” Nicole beamed, her dimples impossibly more adorable than they’d _ever_ seemed to Waverly. “And a home. Here.” She lifted her hand, dangling a single key from a ring on her index finger.

“Wh... are you _serious_?” Waverly’s pitch raised in astonishment, her eyes darting between the keys and her girlfriend’s beaming face. Her heart hammered against her ribs, her eyes wide, butterflies beating hard in her stomach. “ _Here_? In Purgatory?”

“Mmmhmm.” Nicole grinned, wrapping her arms around Waverly’s waist and pulling her close, chuckling at the dumbfounded look on the brunette’s face.

Waverly’s head swam, and she closed her eyes for a moment as she processed the news and the overpowering emotions that flooded her as she understood it. She couldn’t remember ever feeling more elated; the intense waves of relief and euphoria making her mind giddy. She opened her eyes, searching the warm mocha gaze of the woman who had moved her whole life across the continent to be with her. She wrapped her arms around Nicole’s neck, a brilliant smile working its way across her lips. She couldn’t quite comprehend the way the year had moved for them, and she thanked whatever was out there for the incredible events that had led her to now. The cocksure holiday rep she had fallen in love with in the heat of the Florida Keys was stood in Purgatory, in a police uniform, holding the keys to her new home, and Waverly was pretty damn sure it could not have gotten better. She pulled Nicole into a bear hug, giggling and holding her tight as the Officer lifted her from her feet. She knew that her words couldn’t convey the way that she felt in that moment, and so she did the only thing she could, and kissed her girlfriend deeply, pouring every ounce of gratitude and relief and love into the movement of her lips.

“Are you on shift now?” Waverly raised an eyebrow as she pulled back, her fingers trailing once more over the shirt and the metal name badge.

“Not until after I graduate next week.” Nicole grinned, shaking her head. “I just wanted to heighten the surprise.”

“And this home of yours...” Waverly smirked, hooking her fingers behind the duty belt and tugging gently. “Does it have a bed yet?”

Nicole chuckled, her eyes darkening as she took a step forwards, her hips pushing Waverly’s ass back against the wood of the bar.

“No, unfortunately, it has nothing yet. I was kinda hoping you might play house with me, make it feel as much like you as it does me?” Nicole’s eyes searched Waverly’s face as she spoke, her soft tone betraying her nerves.

“Really?” Waverly’s stomach flipped. Did that mean what she thought it meant?

“Well, I was kinda hoping that one day, erm... you know, when you’re ready... that you might wanna come and live there with me?” Nicole smiled shyly, her eyes bashful, her fingers playing with the hem of Waverly’s shirt. “So I figured we may as well make it _our_ space from the get go.”

Waverly sighed, her chest swelling and her pulse racing as she felt herself fall more in love with every word. She ran her hands over Nicole’s stomach and up to her shoulders, pressing closer, needing to feel her girlfriend’s body on her own.

“ _God_ , I love you, Nicole Haught.”

“I love you too.” Nicole grinned, her eyes sparkling as she seemed to accept Waverly’s response as an agreement. “ _So very_ much, Waverly Earp.”

“Now...” Waverly gripped the collar of Nicole’s shirt in her hands, dropping her voice to a husk, her intent unmistakable. “Take me the fuck upstairs, Officer Haught, because you _cannot_ waltz in here wearing this and expect me to keep things PG.”

Nicole’s low chuckle raised goosebumps over Waverly’s skin, and she gasped as the redhead pushed her further against the bar, leaning forward to tilt her back over the edge so that she couldn’t move. The fire in Nicole’s eyes, and the dirty, cocky smirk shot straight to Waverly’s core, and she shuddered in anticipation. Waverly fisted her hands into the front of Nicole’s shirt, pulling herself up to kiss her, whimpering in surprise as the redhead pushed her boot against the inside of Waverly’s foot, forcing her legs wider apart. She felt Nicole smirk into the kiss, and she bit down on her lower lip in an effort to challenge the smug attitude. She bit back her own smirk as Nicole groaned, deepening the kiss in response. Waverly squirmed, her mind quickly clouding with lust as Nicole’s fingers worked the button of her jeans, her hand sliding beneath the material. Nicole groaned, her face contorting with arousal as she felt how wet her girlfriend was already for her, and Waverly threw her head back, gripping at the redhead’s arms as her fingers teased her.

“Oh my _fucking god_ , _baby._..”

Waverly fought against the cries that threatened to burst from her chest as Nicole pushed two fingers easily into her core. She grasped at the redhead’s biceps, unable to find purchase anywhere else in the position that Nicole had her suspended in. She couldn’t move; couldn’t do anything but surrender to the overwhelming pleasure of her girlfriend’s fingers, their burning focus intensified by the limited room inside the material of Waverly’s jeans. She bucked her hips, her muscles trembling, her orgasm approaching far faster than she had expected.

Waverly growled in frustration, dragging her nails mercilessly down Nicole’s arms as the redhead extracted her fingers, bringing them into her own mouth. Her blackened eyes fixed on Waverly’s, dancing with mischief as she sucked them clean.

“ _Nicole_.” Waverly growled, animalistic heat flaring under her skin at the cocky, knowing look in her girlfriend’s eyes. “Upstairs. _Now_.”


End file.
